White Kunai
by Magma823
Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.
1. Prologue

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Prologue**

* * *

A young woman walked alone down the isolated path. Her long, brown hair hung limp and she wiped her hands against her wet cheeks, smearing the once immaculate makeup on her face. The steady clicking of her new, shiny, red stilettos was the only thing to break the silence of the night. She stumbled forward and cursed silently to herself when one of the heels broke. She bent down uncomfortably against the strain of her new tight but modest dress and snapped the heel of the other shoe.

"Stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself. "Stood up. _Again_," she let out an angry sob and tossed the broken heels at the side of the road. _Why do I even bother? He's probably out fucking some whore_. She thought vehemently. _Two years gone to waste. _She looked up at the clouds darkening the moon and let the tears run freely down her face. _I gave _everything_ to him._ Her eyes snapped open and a fierce look crossed her face. _It doesn't matter. I will get through this. _

A violent wind tore through the night and she hugged her shawl closer around her. She continued on her trek down the lonely road and shivered. She glanced behind her. It felt as though someone was watching her. She took a shuddering breath and walked faster.

Breathing.

And not her own.

Her eyes flicked around and her senses heightened at the rush of adrenaline that filled her with the new found fright she felt. But there was no one around.

She stopped.

Silence.

She was about to take a step when she heard a tell tale sound of footsteps behind her. She whirled around, wishing she hadn't thrown the heel, a potential weapon, away. Her eyes darted this way and that but she saw no one.

The clouds finally fully engulfed the moon.

She turned around and walked into something soft. She let out a scream that was quickly cut short as someone placed their hand against her mouth roughly. She stared into the face of her attacker. He, she was sure it was a he, was wearing, from what she could tell, all white. A white mask donned his face. _How did he get here? So quickly. And so silently?_

"Don't scream," he commanded. "Scream and you're dead."

She felt something sharp against her back and whimpered. "Please…" she said hoarsely, her throat raw from crying. _A ninja?_

"Sh, sh, sh," he whispered, placing a finger on her lips. "Don't cry. It'll be over soon." He traced her lips with his gloved hands.

"Stop," she croaked.

The mans eye glinted and his voice hardened. "Not one more word," he ran his hands through her long, brown hair and she saw him smile. His mask covered everything but his eyes and lips. "What beautiful hair…" he said, "and done so nicely. Special night I presume?" he looked at her ruined make-up and sighed. "What man would leave such a pretty, young thing like you on a nice night like this? Ah well, his loss is my gain I suppose."

With that, he gripped her hair and yanked, dragging her into the trees nearby. She let out a howl of pain, which he quickly silenced by tying a long piece of white fabric against her mouth. "What did I say about screaming? Scream and you're dead." The young woman whimpered. The white clothed man ran his fingers down the length of her body and she shuddered. "What a tight dress…" he whispered. "Shame it covers so much."

There was a glint of something shiny and the woman's eyes widened as she suddenly felt cold air against her bare skin. _He tore my dress!_ "Hm, this is better. _This_ I can work with," the man said, running his eyes against her exposed body. She tried to shrink away from his gaze. He leaned down and kissed her roughly, tangling his fingers against her hair and feeling and squeezing her body with the other hand. Tears ran freely down the brunettes' cheeks as she fought to escape and struggled to call for help.

* * *

Down the isolated path a man dressed in white bent down to pick up two broken heels. His crisp and clean clothing were rubbed in dirt and had specks of red on them. "Well she certainly won't be needing these anymore." With heels in hand the man headed into the trees. He navigated through the dark silently and approached a clearing where a lovely brunette lay. He placed the broken shoes on her pale feet, got up and looked at his work in admiration. "Yes, this will get some attention."

He left the scene leaving nothing but the defiled, pale, corpse of a young, heartbroken woman with a white kunai sticking out of her heart.

* * *

Stay tuned for more!

Sorry this is short; it's only the prologue after all. The main characters will be in the next chapter! Promise.  
Please review so I know if people are interested. I will update as soon as possible.

Thanks!

-Magma E.


	2. Chapter 1- Catalyst

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 1- Catalyst**

* * *

_Three Months Later_

"Not again…" Tsunade moaned, looking at the reports in front of her. "Tenth time this month!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. _How many more young women are going to die before we catch the White Kunai Killer? _"Shizune!" She flipped through the pictures in disgust. _Dismembered. Tiny cuts covering her body. Finger shaped bruises on her neck. _Tsunade noticed there was one common thing in each of the murders. _White Kunai Killer, _she thought bitterly.

The door to her office flew open and a women holding a pig walked in. "Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

"He did it again."

Shizune cringed, gently placing Tonton on the floor. "Another one? How old this time?"

"Sixteen."

"That's horrible…" Shizune remembered the youngest murder in the past couple months was a young girl at the tender age of twelve.

The Hokage nodded solemnly. "I'm assigning a new mission. B-rank. Maybe A."

Shizune nodded, understanding. The last mission they attemped against the rapist was a failure. "What can I do to help?"

"I need a long, dark haired kunoichi. The rapist seems to prefer certain characteristics in the women he targets. Preferably between the ages of twelve and eighteen."

"Any ideas so far?"

"One," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her eyes. "Get me the Hyuga girl."

"Hinata Hyuga?" Shizune questioned. "Where would she be right now?"

Tsunade smirked. "It's been two years since the Shinobi World War. The two have been getting close. Where else would she be other than Ichiraku's?"

Shizune smiled. "Of course."

"Bring along Ino Yamanaka too. Her skills could be a big help in this mission."

"And Naruto?"

"What about him?" Tsunade asked.

"He's bound to follow her here when he learns you called her in and he won't like what I'm assuming the girl is going to have to go through."

"Well, we can't do much about that can we? He'll be unpredictable as always. Find Hinata Hyuga. We have a lot to do."

* * *

"Order up!"

Two steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of two of Konohas finest ninjas, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga.

"Ah, itadakimasu Ayame!" Naruto exclaimed, snapping his chopsticks apart. He pushed the other bowl closer to the girl seated next to him. "Here Hinata, eat up while it's hot." The Hyuga thanked the owners of the restaurant politely and stirred the noodles with her chopsticks. "Man, this tastes so much better since it's so cold out." Naruto murmured, slurping the noodles into his mouth. Snow was gently falling outside and the two had sought refuge from the weather in the shop when they returned from their casual walk around Konoha.

"Naruto-kun, what are you planning on doing after this?" Hinata asked in-between bites of her food. She had gotten much more comfortable around her crush after the war. They started spending more time with each other and Naruto was glad she stopped stuttering much when he was near.

"Eh, well, I don't really know," he said with a sheepish grin. He waved his chopsticks around as he listed things he could do, "maybe take a nap or train or something." He turned in his seat and gave the young women next to him a big grin. "Hinata want to train with me later?" he asked, looking at her.

Even after all the times they hung out she still got flustered around him. A very light pink graced her cheeks, and Naruto was unsure if it was because of the cold or because of him. _It's cute though_, he thought. _Wait, is this a date?_

"Yes. Yes, I would like that," Hinata said quietly.

"It's going to be cold though," Naruto warned with a laugh.

"I'm a ninja," Hinata said with a small smile. "The cold will add to the training."

Some distance away from the ramen shop, two figures were approaching the eighteen year olds seated at Ichiraku's. One was wearing a blue mask and the other red. They could hear laughter from the two teens and the slurping of ramen noodles as they got closer. The blonde leaned over and wiped something from the girls' face, who instantly turned red, which caused the blonde to laugh some more.

"Hinata Hyuga?" one of the figures said emotionlessly.

Both of the seated ninjas turned and saw two Anbu staring down at Hinata.

"Yes?" she asked, wiping her mouth gently with a napkin.

"The Hokage asks you to come with us."

"May I ask why?" she questioned politely, placing her chopsticks down and sliding off the seat. She looked up at the tall masked men in front of her curiously. She felt dwarfed in comparison to the towering Anbu. Naruto looked confused. _Why would Granny Tsunade call Hinata? _He eyed the two ninja with needless suspicion.

"Classified," the Anbu with the dark blue mask said. Naruto noticed the Anbu glance at him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, slightly miffed. "What do you mean, _classified?_ I can't know?"

"That's exactly what he means," the Anbu with the red mask said.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and was about to retort when Hinata stepped in front of him. "I'll go with you," she stated. _As if I really have a choice._ She turned to Naruto before leaving with the Anbu and said, "I suppose we will have to postpone our training session."

"Guess so," Naruto said, still eying the older ninjas behind Hinata. "I'll see you in a bit, Hinata."

Hinata looked at him questioningly before one of the Anbu gripped her arm softly and the three vanished.

Naruto turned to face Teuchi and Ayame and slammed some money on the table.

"Naruto you didn't even finish eating!" Ayame exclaimed.

"Maybe later!" Naruto exclaimed. "I have something to do right now." With that, Ayame blinked and the knuckle-headed ninja was gone.

"Wow," she said in awe. "And to think…before he would do _anything_ to finish that ramen. He would never leave an empty bowl."

Her father came up behind her and laughed. "Well Ayame," Teuchi said smiling broadly, "he found something he might care for more than ramen now."

"Think he knows that though?"

"Ah, well, Naruto can be oblivious when it comes to these things," Teuchi said with a shake of his head. "I don't even know if he considers these outings with the Hyuga child _dates_."

Ayame gathered up the unfinished bowls and placed them in the sink. "I don't know…I sure hope he figures it out soon."

"Maybe he did."

"Maybe. The life of a ninja can be short," Ayame said sadly.

"_Life _can be short," her father corrected. "Remember those murders going on in that nearby village?"

Ayame grimanced. "How can I forget?"

Teuchi frowned. "I have a bad feeling. Naruto better keep a hold on that nice Hyuga girl. For his own sake, and for hers."

* * *

_One Month Ago_

A woman was walking down an empty road on her own, clad in skimpy clothing, her long, dark hair flowing freely behind her. She stumbled as though she was drunk, and giggled to herself. She swayed seductively as she walked, seemingly oblivious to the cold.

At first glance she would appear to be a drunken teenager heading home from some party but a closer look and you'd notice the glint in her eyes.

Eyes that have seen more than any regular teenage girl.

Eyes that have seen war and destruction and death.

These eyes weren't naturally that color blue.

That hair wasn't naturally black.

And she was not drunk.

And _he_ knew that.

But _she_ didn't.

She saw something move from the corner of her eye and jumped out of the way. A kunai stuck itself into the trunk of a tree near her. Something was tied to it. She exhaled, her hot breath creating a small fog after hitting the cold air around her. Her reflex was too good for someone so drunk. She cursed to herself. Her cover was blown. She pulled hidden needles from her clothes and held them close to her, wary of anything or anyone that should try to attack her and slowly approached the white kunai lodged in the tree.

She fumbled with the note tied to the metal, her fingers cold and numb. "Fuck. Fuck," she mumbled, trying to sense anyone around her but feeling nothing. _Where's the backup team?_ She thought. They were supposed to be watching her in case the White Kunai Killer made an appearance. _Shit. _She couldn't even sense them. She couldn't sense _anyone_ and that could be a bad thing. She managed to untie the paper and unfurled it as quickly as she could.

_I can see through your henge. Trying to use a transformation jutsu on me? Please. I prey only on young women. Women innocent or just starting to learn the ways of love. I'm sure you figured that out by now. You are not that young and you do not have dark hair. Or long hair for that matter. Simple tricks will not work on me though I admire the effort. I will not hurt you unless you provoke me. Leave. Your team is still alive, but maybe a little disorientated from the genjutsu placed on them. Much luck to you and whoever else tries to stop me. _

The disguised kunoichi cursed. This wouldn't work. They'd have to think of something more drastic before it was too late.

_He's insane._ She thought. _Insane _and_ a ninja! _She turned and looked at the weapon glinting in the moonlight, slightly impressed. If she _were_ actually drunk that white kunai would have pierced clean through her heart.

* * *

Stay tuned for more!

I'm sorry if the story is moving slow right now, I need to set the tone. It will get better I hope. Next chapter will be longer.

Please review so I know if people are interested and would like to keep reading. I will update as soon as possible.

Thanks!

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Briefing**

"And _you_ Naruto will be nearby at _all_ times. You will watch Hinata. You will protect Hinata. You will make sure no real harm befalls Hinata during these treks. Is that clear?"


	3. Chapter 2- Briefing

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 2- Briefing**

* * *

Naruto jumped from rooftop to rooftop heading towards the Hokage's office. He shivered from the cold and blinked rapidly, trying to shield his eyes from the falling snow. _Why does Granny Tsunade want to see Hinata? _He thought to himself. _And how come I can't know why? _Naruto frowned, genuinely upset. Was something wrong? Was Hinata in trouble? Does it have something to do with her clan? With him? A million scenarios flickered in his mind and he let out a frustrated sigh. _Maybe she's going to be sent out on a mission. _His destination was in sight. _But why Anbu? Why did Anbu have to come get her? And classified? What's up with that?_

He approached the window and saw Hinata facing Tsunade, whose back was to him. Hinata glanced at him so quickly, he wasn't even sure if she _did_ look at him. Tsunade turned to face him and waved him inside. _Oh, that was easy. I thought I'd have to hang around outside the window. _The Hokage opened the window for him and Naruto slipped inside.

"I thought this was _classified_," Naruto mocked. He walked around the desk and stood by Hinatas side, his arms crossed. Hinata gave him a small smile.

"It's supposed to be," Tsunade said shuffling though some papers on her desk. "But you were going to hang around listening anyway weren't you?" Naruto grinned. "So much like Jiraiya, you are." Tsunade said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, I'm no perv!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at her accusingly. "At least I'm not an old lady!"

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched and Hinata glanced at both of the temperamental blondes warily. The older woman sighed. "It's true you're not old and that's one of the precise reasons I called for Hinata," she said. "Because she is a young, beautiful, lady."

Hinata turned red and mumbled a quiet thank you.

"Damn right!" Naruto exclaimed and Hinata looked at him surprised, but the ninja didn't seem to be aware of what exactly his words entailed. "Now why do you need Hinata?"

Tsunade mumbled something about respect as she clenched and unclenched her fist, taking deep breaths. "I'll tell you as soon as Hinata's partner for this mission gets here."

"Mission?" Naruto asked, eyebrows raised. "That's it then? Why so secretive?"

_"I'll tell you as soon as Hinata's partner for this mission gets here._" Tsunade repeated.

Naruto groaned. Hinata giggled. "Man, Hinata. I don't know how you can just wait here patiently," Naruto said sincerely, looking down at the dark haired women. She shrugged, her cheeks still red and avoided his gaze. _He thinks I'm beautiful?_

"Because _she_ unlike _you_ has manners you little twerp," Tsunade said spreading some photographs on her desk.

Naruto was about to yell about something when the door opened behind them. Shizune ushered in Ino and shut the door as she left.

"Hello Hokage-sama," Ino said politely. "Hey Naruto. Hinata." Ino said with a smile. "I'm guessing we're going to be assigned a mission together?"

"Just you and Hinata as of now," Tsunade said.

"Why's Naruto here then?"

"He's an idiot."

"Ah, of course. That explains it"

Naruto looked flustered. "He's not an idiot," Hinata said quietly, no longer blushing, and the only male in the room looked at her gratefully.

Ino waved her away. "Of course _you _would say that," she said with a wink and a small laugh.

Naruto blushed a little at Inos words. _Because…I love you. _The words echoed in his mind. "_I'm_ here because _Hinata's _here," Naruto stated. "Not because I'm an idiot," he said with a pout. The women laughed.

Suddenly Tsunade got serious. "I'm sure you've heard about the rapes and murders happening in the nearby Village of Ash," the three young ninjas nodded solemnly. "We have reason to believe that there is only one person behind _all _these killings. The styles are the same. Both of how the victim looked _and_ how they died. The rape victim was always a young woman. The youngest so far being twelve."

"That's revolting," Naruto spit out horrified. "I knew people were being killed. But raped? And at _twelve_?" He looked sick.

Tsunade nodded and picked up a photograph of the twelve year old victim. The three ninjas saw a lot of death during the war but this was different. The young girl had long, curly black hair. There were bruises the shape of fingers around her slender neck and blood covered parts of her naked body. There was a white kunai jutting out of her chest, right where her heart would be.

"This one," Tsunade said, picking up another picture, "happened approximately three months ago." The picture showed a young lady sprawled out amidst some trees. Her long, brown hair hung limply on her tight, but torn dress. Her shawl lay ripped at her side and a pair of broken, red, heels seemed like the only article of clothing not touched by blood. A white kunai was stuck above her left breast.

"She was walking alone after her boyfriend of two years stood her up, apparently," Tsunade explained, taking the picture away. "The leader of the Village of Ash, Sora, declared that no young woman travel unaccompanied at anytime, especially at night. A recommended curfew has been set for eleven at night and women are _urged_ not to leave their homes after dark. But the rapes and murders continue to happen. Less, but they occur nonetheless."

"We're supposed to find this disgusting, piece of filth?" Ino spat out. "Fine. Gladly."

"No," Tsunade said sharply. "We tried that. Several times. The White Kunai Killer is a ninja from what we can tell. And a good one at that. The ninjas sent out to hunt him down have either not returned, returned dead and in pieces, or have simply been unable to find him." Tsunade winced and picked up several photographs.

"More victims?" Hinata asked sadly.

"This?" Tsunade asked, gesturing towards the stack of papers she held. She shook her head. "Just one. I won't go into details but this girl was found scattered throughout the forest near the village."

"That's sick," Naruto said angrily. Hinata gasped and Ino looked furious.

"How _old _was she?" Ino exclaimed.

"Does it matter?" Tsunade asked her voice hardening now. She stared at Hinata intently who shifted under her gaze. "This is where you come in. But first, tell me, any of you, what did you see in common about these murders."

"You mean other than the kunai sticking out of their chests?" Naruto said, crossing his arms again.

"It was a white kunai, thus his name," Ino added. "White Kunai Killer. And it was always stuck in their hearts. Except maybe for the one cut in pieces…"

"Very good," Tsunade nodded. "We have no actual witnesses but some ninja placed in his genjutsu believe he was clad in all white. Anything else?" she looked at Hinata again.

Hinata was about to press her fingers together, an old habit she sometimes succumbed to when she was really nervous. "Um, well, they all had long hair. Long, dark hair."

Tsunade smiled sadly. "And?"

"And," Hinata took a deep breathe. "And _I _have long, dark hair. _I _fit his criteria of 'young,' _I _could be his next victim," Hinata finished.

"That's right," Tsunade said with a stiff nod.

"Woah, woah, wait a minute," Naruto said waving his arms, putting the pieces together. "You want _Hinata_ to go out there and find this serial rapist killer guy? Are you _insane?"_

"That's not what we're doing," Tsunade said. "Hinata isn't going to go looking for him. _He _will come to _her_."

"To _rape_ her!" Naruto yelled angrily. "Why would you want to put her in a situation like that?"

"You think I _want _to do this Naruto?" Tsunade retorted. "Listen kid, we tried everything else we could. We tried hunting him down. We tried ambushing him. We tried disguising ninjas stronger than her, no offense Hinata, but the White Kunai Killer saw through the henges. We need an actual _young, beautiful, dark_ and _long_ haired women to be bait! And the only one that fits this category is _Hinata!_"

"I don't like it," Naruto huffed.

"None of us like it you idiot," Ino said with a shake of her head. "But we have to do it. More women will suffer and die if we don't."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who'll potentially get raped!" Naruto exclaimed angrily.

"Don't get mad at me because _your_ girlfriend happens to fit the bill Naruto!" Ino yelled back.

Naruto turned red, "I just don't want her to get hurt."

Hinata pushed the fact that Naruto didn't deny her being his girlfriend to the back of her mind as she stepped between the arguing blondes. "I'll do it."

"Hinata!" Naruto said exasperatedly.

"I have to Naruto-kun," she said gently. "No one else should suffer by his hands," she turned away from his blue eyes and looked at the Hokage. "And if there's something I can do to stop it, I'll do it. What is it that I have to do, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade gave her a brief nod. "You and Ino will be heading out to the village, under the impression that you're on your way to a friends wedding. In fact there _will _be a wedding. It was announced a few months back. It's between the leader Sora's daughter named Mizuki and some man from another village nearby but that is unimportant." Hinata's eyes widened at the daughters name but it went unnoticed.

"Will we need backup?" Ino asked.

"We have learned when it comes to this murderer, less is more," Tsunade explained. "Previous attempts at sending the traditional team of four have gone awry, as have larger groups. You will need to be as inconspicuous as possible. It's easier to lay low and follow the fake story set for you if you have less people."

"Just myself and Hinata then." Ino stated.

"And Naruto."

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, looking suspiciously happy.

"I originally thought to send just Hinata, as bait, and Ino, since she can use her mind to communicate and her healing could be a good asset but a pretty recent team sent out a month ago made me come to the realization that this White Kunai Killer is much stronger than expected. They succumbed to his apparent genjutsu ability. I'm sure you, Hinata, can fight just fine, but having Naruto there will be beneficial. Three people can still disguise themselves pretty well, not appearance wise in this case, but simply hiding the real reason why they're really there. You three are to hide your ninja abilities unless you come into contact with the killer because if he becomes aware that Hinata is, indeed, a kunoichi things can go bad. Fast."

The three nodded understandingly.

"Now what you have to do is simple. Ino will connect your minds, all three, together so you can communicate while Hinata is doing her part of the mission. I'm sure you will be able to accomplish that, Ino?" Tsunade looked at the ninja who nodded. "Hinata will walk around the village at night, as normally as women walking around alone with a serial rapist on the loose act," Tsunade said with a small but bitter smirk, "and wait until the killer makes contact." Tsunade noticed Naruto was about to say something but put up a finger to silence him. "And _you_ Naruto will be nearby at _all_ times. You will watch Hinata. You will protect Hinata. You will make sure no real harm befalls Hinata during these treks. Is that clear?"

"Transparent, Granny Tsunade," Naruto said, mock saluting her. "I'll protect Hinata with my life." Ino smiled genuinely at the obliviously love-struck boy and Hinata tried to suppress the blush creeping up her neck. She listened to Tsunade's briefing in silence, allowing the information to sink in. She was to be bait for a rapist and murderer. She shivered at the thought and the orange clad ninja, noticing, placed one arm around her shoulders protectively.

"You will have to postpone your current Hokage training though," Tsunade added.

"That's fine, Hinata's safety comes first."

"Very well. Ino will stay far away from where Hinata is, to call less attention to yourselves. Be sure to suppress your chakra at all times, unless it's really necessary to use it," Tsunade continued. "Report back to me with important news when possible. Ino you will make sure you're all linked so you know what's happening to one another each time you go on these outings. I considered putting you in Hinatas place but the killer doesn't fall for transformation jutsus. The only thing I'll need you to do, Hinata, is to hide your characteristic Hyuga eyes."

"My eyes?" Hinata questioned, raising her hands towards her face. "Oh," she said, having an epiphany. "They'd give away the fact that I could possibly be a ninja."

"I'm sure you can do the transformation jutsu?" Tsunade questioned.

Ino laughed. "Of course she can, the only person that really couldn't at the academy if I remember correctly was Naruto."

"Leave me out of this!" he sputtered.

Hinata laughed and looked at him. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was blue. She did the appropriate hand signs and there was a poof and she slowly opened her eyes.

Ino had her mouth open. "Wow."

Tsunade smiled. "Very well, that's the color you're going to go with?"

_Color?_ Hinata thought. She was so used to having what she thought of as simple, white eyes.

Ino saw her confused look and smiled, pulling out a shiny kunai from her pack. "Look Hinata. This is how yours and Narutos love child would look like," she said laughing.

Hinata took the weapon and saw her reflection. Her eyes were the same color as Naruto-kun's! _Oh…_she felt heat rise up to her cheeks and slowly glanced at the young man next to her. _Oh…_he was smiling and rubbing his hands through his hair, a light blush brushing his cheeks.

"I think it looks nice," he stated.

Hinata fought the urge to faint.

"How come it's okay to transform her eyes but not just get another ninja to use a henge?" Ino questioned.

"Smaller, more sectioned, transformations are less obvious than full ones," Tsunade clapped. "Well then, I think that's all I have to say about this. Ino, you and Hinata should go shopping for some more casual outfits to go along with your ninja attire. I'd like you three to leave as soon as possible. The faster you get to the Village of Ash the faster you can catch the White Kunai killer and the less chance there is of other innocent victims getting hurt. As always, be careful." They nodded in understanding and as they were about to leave Tsunade called Hinata again. The three turned to face their Hokage in confusion. "Oh, Hinata, apparently the rapist has a keen eye for _innocent_ girls. I'm sure _you _are one?"

Hinata turned a deep scarlet when she noticed the Hokages eyes move to Naruto. Tsunade was stifling a laugh. "Yes," the Hyuga squeaked.

"Good, you're all dismissed."

"Hey, Hinata, what did she mean about innocent?" Narutos voice echoed down the hall. Tsunade laughed. Their footsteps began to fade but she continued listening to their conversation. "And why did Granny Tsunade look at me all weird. And why are you so red _right now?_ You aren't catching a fever for real right? What does innocence have anything to do with this anyway," Naruto continued. "I mean we've all been to _war_! We fought _in _a war. I'm sure we can handle one more ninja."

"Naruto, _what_ are you talking about?" Ino asked in confusion.

"Well war can change a person," Naruto continued. "That's what I'm trying to say. So Hinata's probably not considered innocent anymore right? And neither am I."

Tsunade heard a thud.

"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed. "Oh man! She fainted. It's been forever since she's done this. Ino help me out!"

"You're on your own Uzumaki!"

"But you're a medic nin!"

Tsunade heard the Yamanaka girl laugh.

Tsunade looked at the pictures. _Dead women. Slaughter. Rape. _She hoped they would be able to handle this. _White Kunai. Ruined innocence. _Oh, this is going to be an interesting mission indeed.

* * *

Stay tuned for more!

Okay the story is starting to pick up now. There _will_ be more NaruHina in the next chapter. Sorry if it seemed as though this chapter went _on and on and on_. I had to explain what was going on. The real action will be coming soon!

Please review so I know if people are interested and would like to keep reading. I will update as soon as possible.

Thanks!

-Magma E.

* * *

Up next: **Beginnings**

"…by the time Kiba got to her…some of the bandits had their way with her. Her clothes were ripped and there was blood where there shouldn't have been."


	4. Chapter 3- Beginnings

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 3- Beginnings**

* * *

It was starting to get dark and Hinata found herself at Naruto's house. He had recently inherited his parents old home, full with their furniture and pictures hanging on the wall. Sometimes she would find him staring at them sadly but he would always try to put on a smile. Right now he seemed upset and was uncharacteristically silent.

"Naruto-kun is anything wrong?" Hinata asked him, shutting the front door behind her. The said ninja kicked off his shoes angrily and stomped away into the living room. Hinata followed him quietly, slipping off her shoes. "Is this-is this because I fainted?"

He turned around to face her and looked at her in confusion. "What? No Hinata, no," he rubbed his eyes with his fingers and plopped down onto the couch. "I just-" he sighed and looked at her sadly. He gestured for her to sit down and she did, though a tad bit nervously. She was scared. He sighed. "Hinata, I'm not mad at you, ya know?" she bit her lip and he found himself staring at her mouth. He found himself doing that more and more often now he realized. He looked away. _No. Bad Naruto. Don't treat Hinata like simple eye candy. Don't become like Jiraiya. _

"What's wrong then?"

"How can you even ask that?" he exclaimed. "We're going on a mission to see if some pervert will come and _rape _you! I'm not sure how that makes _you_ feel but it makes me really, really angry! I mean...I know you're a ninja and all but this whole situation just makes me feel so uncomfortable! Things always go wrong on missions. On any type of mission, whether it be delivering a message or protecting someone or whatever and this time could be no different. It could be worse! I don't know, Hinata. I'm worried!"

"It's going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

"I'm not afraid Naruto-kun," she continued, turning to face him. He looked upset, and inside she felt pleased that he cared so much. "You're going to be there and Ino won't be far off. She'll be ready to heal us in case things go wrong. It'll be fine."

"'_Fine_' like that mission you had like half a year ago?" Naruto frowned at the thought.

A year ago Hinata and her teammates were assigned on a mission to the very village they were heading to now. It wasn't supposed to be a very difficult mission. They were to be out of the Hidden Leaf for a week, max. It was a simple escorting mission. Sora, the Village of Ash's leader, had asked for a group of ninja to escort his daughter Mizuki and his son Yoru to and back from a distant village. From what she remembered the daughter Mizuki had beautiful, dark long hair similar to her own and the son was quite handsome too. Hinata smiled to herself fondly. They were a nice pair of siblings, sweet and helpful and not at all pampered.

"What're you thinking about?" Naruto asked, gazing at the smile adorning her face. He was bewildered that she could be happy at the thought of the things that happened.

"That mission."

"Why're you _smiling _then?" he asked, his grief fading and unable to hold in a small laugh.

"The mission wasn't _all_ that bad," she said smiling. She contemplated whether or not she should say something she _really_ wanted to say. More to see his reaction than anything. "The son was quite nice to me." Naruto stopped laughing and frowned. "The daughter was sweet too." Still, Naruto continued to frown.

"Tell me about this son," Naruto insisted, leaning towards her.

Hinata pushed him back gently, laughing softly. "I thought you knew this story."

"Only the part where you, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and the siblings get attacked by some…bandits was it?"

"Not bandits, no," Hinata said removing her hands from his chest. She didn't realize she left them there. The loss of heat disappointed Naruto. "Actually I guess they could be considered bandits. They wanted to kidnap Mizuki or Yoru, preferably both. They somehow knew they were the children of some rich leader."

"So what happened," Naruto asked shifting closer to Hinata.

"We told the siblings to stay behind us but things went wrong quick when the bandits got a hold of Mizuki. Yoru was very protective of his younger sister. I think he was maybe our age and she was probably a year or two younger. But anyway a pair of bandits were trying to escape with the girl and Yoru tried to follow. Things took a dark turn right after. It was out of control. It was dark and without my byakugan, Kiba-kun's heightened senses, and Shino-kun's bugs we would have been blind. Yoru practically was in the lack of light but he felt his sisters' grip get torn from his hand and he ran blindly into the fight. I jumped in to protect him and…it was too much. I was overwhelmed. I was weak."

Naruto gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "You are _not_ weak Hinata." Images of her trying to shield him during the war and protect him from Pain flashed through his mind. "I'm sure you guys were tired and the chaos was enough to mess with any ninja."

Hinata gave him a weak smile and he settled her against his chest, one arm wrapped securely around his shoulders. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

He looked down at her fondly, but she was fiddling with the fabric of his jacket. "What happened next?" he asked a bit stiffly, already knowing what occurs.

"Well one thing led to another and…well...I got wounded. A kunai made it past me and scratched poor Yoru's cheek, cutting through his right eye and up to his forehead. I'm sure it left a scar. I blame myself for it. If I didn't let myself get hit by those shuriken…"

"It all worked out in the end though."

"Akamaru had to carry me bleeding and bruised to the nearest village. Yoru was left with a scar. Mizuki cringes each time she sees him. It reminds her of the ordeal she went through. I'm sure…I'm sure by the time Kiba-kun got to her…some of the bandits had their way with her. Her clothes were ripped and there was blood where there shouldn't have been."

Naruto tightened his grip and wrapped his other arm around her, effectively pulling the Hyuga into a hug. He couldn't help but think about their upcoming mission.

"Odd thing was," she mumbled near his shoulder, "when I was struck down I had these weird visions. Visions of Yoru and Mizuki. They were younger and were playing together. He helped her tie her kimono. She was crying when she learned she had to get married to some stranger. I still have no idea what that was about." Naruto didn't know what to say so he just ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "Well that's not important anymore," she said slowly wrapping her arms around him. "We have other pressing matters to deal with now. Thanks for listening to my rant Naruto-kun."

"That's the most you've said in a while," Naruto said chuckling. Hinata laughed and pulled away. "No don't!" Naruto said pleadingly. She stopped laughing and tilted her face in confusion. Naruto pouted. "Uh, well it's cold. Don't push away," Hinata blushed as he slowly extended his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. The moment was ruined when she heard his stomach rumble. Naruto groaned. _Why now?_

Hinata giggled and got off the couch. "What're you hungry for Naruto-kun?"

_You._ Naruto's eyes widened. _Where the _hell_ did that come from?_ "Just tea is fine Hinata, thanks!" he croaked.

"Are you getting a cold?" Hinata called as she made her way to the kitchen. "Your voice sounded hoarse just now."

"No," Naruto coughed. _What is wrong with me. _"I'm fine." _Control yourself. _

_**It's because you like her. **_Kurama said in his mind.

Naruto rolled his eyes. _Well obviously. Even I'm not that dense. _

Kurama chuckled.

_Well not that dense _anymore_! _Naruto defended.

_**Shut up kit, I'm trying to help. It's been two years. Make a move. **_

_ Actually I guess it's been…twelve, thirteen, fourteen…eighteen…oh my god, it's been seven years since I've known her._

_**You really are an idiot. You've known her longer than that. But forget it. Just kiss her.**_

_I'm taking advice from a fox._

_**A fox that has been around for a while. Now shut up and kiss her.**_

_I can't just _kiss_ her! _

_**Why not? She likes you. She loves you. And you…?**_

_I don't want to talk about it._

_**You care for her.**_

_Yes._

Suddenly he felt Kurama retreat once again in his mind. _I guess that damn fox got his point across? _Naruto pondered about what he said before the clinking of mugs in the kitchen drew his attention.

He walked to the table where Hinata was pouring a hot, brown liquid of something she called _chai _into two mugs in front of her. "Careful, it's hot," she said, watching him reach for his orange mug. She wrapped her fingers around her purple one and blew softly. Sometimes she pondered at the thought that they lived like a married couple. She never stayed the night, no, but Naruto kept a special mug just for her, which she appreciated. It made her giddy at the thought. She would cook for him on occasion. After all she couldn't have him just eat ramen all day. That's not healthy! She would come by and help him around the house. It all seemed like natural things to do.

Naruto watched her as he held the mug close to his lips. She seemed to be thinking about something. She took careful sips and sighed happily. This made the Jinchuuriki smile. Their eyes met and she beamed. "How is it?"

"How's what?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from her mouth.

"The tea," she said with a laugh.

"Too hot to tell."

She frowned and it wasn't because of the _chai_. "We leave tomorrow. Ino and I finished shopping for some clothes today and we really won't be needing much."

"This is one of the only times I'm not happy to be sent out on a mission."

"You don't have to come," Hinata said, looking at him. "I'm sure Tsunade would assign someone else to the team. Kiba-kun or Shino-kun or maybe even Shika-"

"You know that's not what I mean Hinata." The young woman was silent. "I don't want _you_ to go. Or Ino for that matter. But…I really especially don't want you to be put in that situation." He looked away, brows furrowed, millions of different situations that could occur played out in his head, each worse than the one before. He knew she was strong but he couldn't help worrying.

Hinata reached out and placed her hand over his gently. He looked at her. She was smiling a big smile, eyes crinkled.

It was fake.

She was scared too.

If ninjas stronger than her couldn't do it, how could she?

Different plan, she understood, but she still doubted herself.

What if something went wrong?

Naruto turned his hand and gripped hers tight.

Her smile vanished but happy thoughts filled her head. Feeling his hand in her own reminded her of the first time he held her hand during the war.

He placed his tea down on the counter and removed hers from her grip too.

He pulled her closer to him and gently cupped her face, her hair shifting and softly caressing his fingers.

"Hinata, I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

Hinata smiled a genuine smile, a soft pink enhancing her cheeks. "Thank you Naruto-kun." She looked down but, using his other hand, he gently lifted her head by placing a finger under her chin.

"No, thank _you_, Hinata."

Then he leaned down and kissed her.

Memories flooded through his mind. _Proud failure. _He kissed her gently._ Her confession. _He held her softly as though she would disappear. _Her attempt to shield him with her own body_. His hands trailed down her back and he pressed against her tightly. _Her literally slapping sense into him. _He smiled against the kisses.

Hinata was in shock at first but easily melted into the kisses. She had waited for this for so long. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck. She was nervous and inexperienced but she felt comfortable and safe as she felt his body press against hers. She flushed. His kisses were soft and tender and she felt him smile. This made _her_ smile.

They pulled away, breathing heavily and grinning broadly. She was sure they looked like idiots. She let out a weak laugh and he chuckled, brushing hair away from her face. "I waited long enough didn't I?" he asked jokingly.

"Maybe," she said teasingly.

"Better make up for it," he said before engulfing her lips with his again.

The once tender kisses became desperate. Thoughts of the dreadful mission found ways to invade his mind. _He saw Hinata in the hands of some white clothed man._ Naruto had pushed Hinata against the wall. _He saw her fighting but failing against the attacker. _Naruto pressed himself against her like a second skin. _He saw the attacker ripping apart her clothes. _Naruto gripped her waist tightly. _He heard her scream in pain. _Hinata gasped as Naruto moved his lips to her neck. _He saw her cry. _Naruto tore his lips away and buried his face in her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hinata," he said with a shuddering breath. "I don't want to lose you," he muttered. "I can't lose you."

Hinata didn't question the change of events. She allowed him to whisper his fears in her ear as she gently rubbed his back. "You won't lose me," she murmured, kissing his cheek softly. "You won't lose me."

* * *

He walked her to the Hyuga Compound later that night. He was acting more protective than normal and she blushed at the thought of their…_kissing_. He was holding her hand and as they reached her house he gave her a soft, fleeting kiss.

"Sorry about before," he said in shame.

"Don't be," Hinata assured him. "I'm happy."

He smiled and watched her walk into the compound, leaving when he knew she was safe.

Both had trouble sleeping that night.

* * *

Well I had to throw in some NaruHina but this isn't just a fluff chapter, promise. Or is it? I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I don't think I moved them too quick into this relationship considering it's already been two years after the war and they have spent time together before, off-screen (in this case off-story), but feel free to tell me what you think. The White Kunai Killer will make an appearance in the next chapter.

Please review so I know if people are interested and would like to keep reading. I will update as soon as possible.

Thanks!

-Magma E.

* * *

Shoutout to anonymous reviewer _jess_ for that amazing deduction! It made me smile, thank you so much!

Answering the question for the anonymous reviewer _Guest_: I didn't make her wear contacts in case it would be an anachronism. I know people wear glasses in the show/manga but I don't think I remember them ever mentioning contacts.

* * *

Up Next: **Preparations**

"She felt a sharp pain and her back arched up as she felt something fill her. His groans were muffled and she felt spurts of pleasure and _that_ _made it worse. _She wanted to scream and yell and tell him to stop but her body was spent."


	5. Chapter 4- Preparations

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 4- Preparations**

* * *

Ino's eyes widened as she watched the Hyuga approach her. "You look _happy_," Ino said suspiciously. "And _tired._"

"I couldn't sleep last night," Hinata partially explained.

"Oh. My. God," Ino shrieked. "You and Naruto! Naruto and you! _Finally!"_

"What?" Hinata blushed. "We didn't…we only…"

Ino leaned closer to the other woman, arms on her hips. "You only…?"

"We only kissed I guess," Hinata said, pressing her fingers together.

"You guess?" Hinata was silent. "So are you guys official?"

"I-I don't know," Hinata answered truthfully. Her previous happiness about last night dissipated. _I mean Naruto-kun kissed me…_ she thought. _But he was also very upset. Maybe _that's_ why he kissed me?_ _I mean he didn't say anything about us being…us…dating. Of me being his… girlfriend…_

Ino frowned, looking genuinely upset for her teammate. "That jackass!"

Hinata shook her head. "No, no, it's okay. We were all just overwhelmed from the briefing. It's fine really."

"When he gets here…" the other kunoinchi mumbled darkly.

"No, Ino, really it's fine!"

Ino looked at her sadly. "If you say so Hinata. But if he hurts you-"

"Naruto-kun would never hurt me!"

Ino sighed. "Yea, probably. But he's still an ass for not making it clear."

"But-but I guess I could have said something too."

Ino waved her away. "Oh please, Hinata, you're one of the shyest kunoichi out here. He should have known."

Hinata frowned, taking into consideration what was said. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as they saw an orange blur approach the front gates of the village. Naruto landed in front of them and stretched.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "I went to say good bye to Sasuke and Sakura and Sai," he smiled at the two women in front of him. "You guys told your teammates about the mission?"

"It's supposed to be classified, Naruto." Ino stated, her tone unpleasant, still upset from what she was talking about with Hinata.

"Oh yea."

"But, yea, I did mention to Choji and Shikamaru that I'd be gone for a few days," she continued.

"What about you Hinata?" Naruto asked. A barely noticeable blush appeared on his cheeks as memories of last night flashed through his mind. He wanted so badly to just pull her into a hug and thank her for bearing with him but he controlled himself. He couldn't have her passing out right before their mission.

"Kiba-kun and Shino-kun were really upset when they realized what the mission entailed," Hinata explained, avoiding his gaze.

"And for good reason," Naruto spit out.

"But they wish us luck," Hinata finished.

"Well anyway," Ino said, shuffling through her small pack. "Let me try and link our minds now before we actually head out. Hold out your hands." She stuck a small, rectangular, tag with illegible writing on Naruto's hand and went to place one on Hinata's too.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, blinking in confusion.

"Wait," Ino commanded. She took a few steps back, did different hand gestures and made her trademark O with her fingers, targeting Naruto first. Naruto felt a sharp pinch in the palm with the tag and he hissed in pain. Before he could question what that was about Ino repeated the gesture on Hinata. "My father had an easier way of communicating through peoples minds…but I'm not at that particular level and I learned this is better to maintain contact for a relatively long period of time," Ino explained. "It'll drain some chakra but you'll hardly feel it, especially you Naruto."

"The tags?" Naruto asked, pointing at his palm.

"If you softly squeeze your hand and concentrate your thoughts on us we should be able to hear them," Ino said patiently. "The tags are what will slowly drain your chakra, only a little, but take them off when they aren't necessary like when you sleep. Not sure about any side effects…" she mumbled the last part.. "Anyway, try it."

"Cool!" Naruto exclaimed. _**CAN YOU HEAR THIS?**_

The girls cringed. "Naruto, don't yell!" Ino screamed ironically. Naruto just grinned.

_**Is this right, Ino-san? **_Hinata projected.

_**Perfect, Hinata. **_Ino said in their minds, nodding.

"Hinata, why don't you try?" Naruto asked.

"I did Naruto-kun," the Hyuga responded, avoiding his gaze.

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "How come I couldn't hear it?"

Ino faced the other woman. "Hinata did you focus the message just for me?"

"Um, I think so," Hinata said with a small shrug.

Naruto frowned but didn't say anything.

"That leads me into the next topic. If you concentrate on a particular person your thoughts should project to _just_ that person," Ino said.

_Like this? _Naruto asked, looking at the other blonde.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Uzumaki?" Ino asked, narrowing her eyes.

_What? I'm trying to see if this works._

"Naruto, stop being weird!"

Naruto shut his eyes tightly trying to concentrate. _CAN EITHER OF YOU HEAR THIS?_

"Hinata, help me out," Ino said with a groan. "I think he might pop a blood vessel."

Hinata let out a small laugh. "Naruto-kun, you look constipated."

Naruto huffed, deflated. "Why couldn't you hear what I was thinking?"

"Did you press the tag?" Ino asked in a monotone.

"Oh."

"Idiot."

"Hey!"

"Is that all we have to know?" Hinata asked Ino. "Should we head out now? Maybe we can reach the Village of Ash before dark."

"Yup!" Ino said cheerfully. "Well, follow me since I'm in charge." She turned and jumped into the trees, Hinata following close behind.

"Who put you in charge?" Naruto mumbled, trailing them nonetheless.

* * *

The team of three reached the Village without much trouble just as the sun was setting. As they had gotten closer to their destination they switched from jumping through the trees to walking to fit into the guise that they were simply long distant friends with the bride, Mizuki. Even though it was still light out the streets looked desolate.

"It feels so…_sad_ here," Naruto said softly.

"No one feels safe," Hinata said sympathetically, glancing at the man next to her. He gave her a weak smile but she turned away, a small ache in her heart. _Was last night really just nothing? _Naruto's eyebrows knit together and he frowned, confused as to why Hinata was acting this way.

"Come on," Ino gestured. "We should settle down at the hotel. The leader of the village, Sora, booked us two rooms."

The hotel was a quaint little building and Naruto expected people to be wary and worried everywhere but the owner was surprisingly nice.

"Ah, two keys, yes? Yes?" the tall, thin man asked.

"Yes, sir," Ino nodded. "Reserved under the name Yamanaka."

"Here's a key for the pretty girls and one for the handsome man," the dark haired man said with a smile.

"Arigato."

"That was odd," Naruto said as they approached their rooms.

"Don't be rude, Naruto," Ino scolded.

"I'm sure he was just trying to be nice," Hinata added.

"I don't know," Naruto mumbled, "I'm going to be looking at every guy suspiciously now for the next couple of days."

Naruto unlocked the door to his room, which was situated right next to the girls. He watched Hinata follow Ino inside without a second glance at him and that made him upset. _Did I do something wrong?_

_**Probably. **_Kurama said in his mind.

Naruto sighed and shut the door behind him.

They planned on trying to lure the White Kunai Killer later tonight.

* * *

_Six Months Ago_

He fiddled with the weapons. _No, these won't work. _The dark metal mocked him. It reminded him of the very person that unknowingly stabbed him in the heart. The shiny reflective surface showed his face and he grimaced in disgust. _No, these will not do._ He worked throughout the night ignoring his rumbling stomach. He ignored the calls to dinner and ignored how heavy his eyelids felt. He knew his family watched him in concern. Everyone came to usher him out of the room. Everyone but _her_.

Odd isn't it how even the cruelest and most vicious people can come from such _normal_ places? How such monsters can be created from the most unfortunate events? _They were supposed to protect us. They failed. _

The strong smell of paint and gloss filled his workspace. _How many will I need? Am I really going to do this? _He stopped working and rolled the weapon around in his hand. _Should I really do this? Why?_

He heard a voice somewhere in the house and clutched at his chest. The sweet sound of her voice was a bitter reminder as to why he locked himself in his room. It reminded him why he was thinking of doing what he was about to do. It reminded him of how he couldn't have something so close. It's like stealing food from a starving mans plate. _How long will I have to hear but not touch? Soon I won't be able to listen to her voice at all. _

He made up his mind. He worked. Sweat dripped from his brow and his fingers were filled with little cuts and blemishes. Soon he was done. His lips moved silently, counting the freshly painted weapons in front of him. _Ten. Ten is good enough. _He laughed bitterly to himself. Surely he won't be using all ten. Was he really even going to use _one?_ What will this accomplish? _Should I really do this? Is this normal? Of course it is. What I'm doing makes sense. _He was truly insane.

He stretched, groaning, his muscles burning from sitting in the same position for so long. His bones popped and he sighed in relief. He placed the weight of his head in his left hand, his elbow resting on the table. He winced and pulled his hand away. He remembered why he was doing this again. _Maybe I will use one. But probably not ten. No most likely not. I'm sure I'll be satisfied. _

He didn't know then that he was going to supersede just ten. The count would reach dozens a month. He didn't know that.

_Maybe just one._

He gathered up the kunai and hid them away carefully in his darkened room. He left one hidden in the folds of his pristine, white clothing. _Tomorrow, _he thought as he slipped into bed, his hand slipping under the band of his pants. Using his other hand he removed his shirt smoothly and ran his fingers across his chest, slowly trailing them down to his thighs. His breathing heightened as he felt his body tingle. His fingers moved, touching, squeezing and pressing his skin. He ran his tongue across his mouth imagining his fingers were _hers. _Imaging his tongue moving across his lips were _hers. _Imagining the up and down movement was _her. _His muscles tensed and he felt jolts of pleasure travel throughout his body. His shuddering breaths filled the room as he slowly caressed his member. He listened to _her_ voice in the room next door and slowly pumped his hand. _Tomorrow I'll get some relief._

* * *

_The Next Day_

He was casually walking around the city adorned in normal clothing when he caught sight of a young girl perhaps the age of fifteen. He leaned against a store window and watched her from the corner of his eyes. She had beautiful, long, black hair cut in layers. Side bangs framed her face and she was wearing a school outfit consisting of a dark, knee length skirt and white blouse and dark tie. She wasn't the girl he _really_ wanted but she would do.

For the next few days he continued to watch her. She would leave her school at precisely three o'clock; walk with her friends until they were forced to head in opposite directions. She would walk past the flower shop that he was leaning against now and make a sharp turn down the alley of two nearby buildings because it was apparently a shortcut to her home. From there she would follow the main road until she got to her house.

_The alley. _That's where he would have to do it.

The next day the girl was walking through the backstreet when she saw a figure approaching. He was dressed in white and was wearing a white mask but she didn't think too much into it. Many people passed through their village wearing masks covering either all or parts of their faces and most were ninja.

She smiled broadly at the man and gave him a polite nod as they passed. _Poor, ignorant child. _

The man grabbed her arm and whipped her to the wall. She gasped in pain and was about to scream but a white cloth was roughly tied to her mouth. It happened so quickly. She felt the fabric cutting into the sides of her lips and looked at her attacker. She didn't know who it was. _Why?_ She tried kicking him between the legs, her father told her that that could be a mans weak spot but the white masked man roughly shoved her legs apart and pressed himself to her.

"Shut up," he hissed quietly.

She tried screaming but suddenly he slapped a piece of paper on her lips and she couldn't move her mouth at all. _A seal? _She learned about such things in her school but never in much detail. She felt tears leak from her eyes and felt him unbutton her blouse but she continued to struggle. _I will _not_ go down without a fight. _She attempted to claw at his face but realized the mask acted as a sort of weak shield. He roughly slammed her wrists to the wall with one hand and continued to fumble with her clothes in the other. Her eyes darted to either side of the alley but they were right in the middle where the passageway turned and she came to the haunting conclusion that even if someone decided to glance down the path they wouldn't see her.

Still she continued to struggle, futilely though it was.

He realized he did not like her fighting spirit. No he would rather have someone willing and easily manipulated. He punched the young girl in the stomach whose cry of pain was silenced by the seal. He slowly dropped her to the ground and dragged her near a large dumpster in order to try and conceal themselves more. She flailed like a fish and he quickly pulled out his kunai and stuck it through her thigh.

The girl tried to cry out and squeezed her eyes in pain.

"Stop moving," the man said harshly. He realized his next kills would have to be cleaner. Less noticeable. _Next kills,_ he thought, surprised at first. _Yes, next kills. This will not suffice. _

A series of words unbecoming of an innocent girl such as herself streamed through her mind. She wished she could say them out loud. She wished she could scream for help. She wished she could fight. When she felt him slip off her skirt and panty she realized that this was it. _This can't be happening. I was supposed to celebrate my birthday next week. I was supposed to go shopping with my friends. _

She felt hands roaming her body and her whimper caught in her throat. She attempted to swat his hand away but felt him slice into her arm with that strange, white weapon he held. She started to feel queasy as blood slowly drained from her.

Then she felt something strange. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the man staring down at her and her eyes trailed from his face to his shoulder to his elbow and lower. _His fingers! _She wanted to cry. She felt her body react to his touches and felt disgusted. _This isn't how it should be. _She thought that maybe if she didn't fight too much he would let her go when it was done.

The man stared at her hair, unwilling to look at her face. He tried hard to pretend it was _her_. He felt himself grow harder, removed his fingers and spread the girls' legs apart. Tears ran down her face and he ignored it. He quickly unbuckled his belt and slipped his pants down.

She felt a sharp pain and her back arched up as she felt something fill her. His groans were muffled and she felt spurts of pleasure and _that_ _made it worse. _She wanted to scream and yell and tell him to stop but her body was spent. She felt liquid wet the back of her clothes as she lay on the ground and came to the dim realization that it was her own blood. Suddenly she felt her muscles tighten and her body lifted up off the ground. _It felt good but it felt bad at the same time. _She cried.

He pulled out of her and pulled his pants back up. He stared at the girl underneath him in disgust. _It's not her. _He thought. _This isn't enough,_ he realized. The young woman stared at him through her tears and he looked closer. She was sad, yes, but she looked _angry. _

"I'm sure you'd be cursing at me right now," he said. The girl didn't move. "Well that was nice and all but I'm done with you." He leaned down and held the kunai over her heart. "I hope you bleed a lot," he stated. "_She _bled. _She_ suffered. So I hope _you_ suffer too." She looked at him confused and then the girls brown eyes widened when she realized too late he wasn't going to just stop at the rape. She tried twisting away but he held her down with his knees. She watched the kunai fall down towards her chest as if it was in slow motion. The blade pierced her skin and her eyes widened in pain. Then she felt nothing.

The man picked up the body carefully, trying not to stain his pure, white clothes and tossed it in the dumpster.

A few days would pass before the first victims' body is found and by the time it was, the White Kunai Killer already had his way with several other women.

* * *

It'll all make sense soon, I promise.

I hope I don't upset anyone with the way Hinata is acting. She's a shy girl and she's just...uncertain. Don't worry. There's more to come!

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Liar**

"_**What did he say? **_Naruto exclaimed in her mind. _**Did he say fuck? Oh, I'm so going to kill him! That sweet-talking, manipulative, perverted, bastard!"**_


	6. Chapter 5- Liar

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 5- Liar**

* * *

Hinata shivered in the cold. She had a fluffy scarf wrapped around her neck and was wearing a cozy beanie on top of her flowing hair. Her hands were stuffed in the form-fitting pea coat Ino and herself purchased for this mission in particular. She was dressed warmly, but her figure was still discernible and she was outfitted in a way so that she wouldn't appear to look as though she was screaming, _I'm disguised as a whore! Come get me White Kunai Killer! _

Hinata nudged the snow that lay on the ground with the tip of her boot. _**How long have I been out here? **_Hinata asked her teammates in her mind.

_**An hour maybe? **_Naruto responded.

_**Feels like more.**_

_**Sorry Hinata, **_Ino's voice echoed. _**Just a few more hours.**_

Hinata sighed, mist forming where her hot breath came in contact with the frigid air. _**It would be easier if it weren't so cold. **_Thoughts of all those dead women came to mind. _**But I can do it.**_

_** We know you can, **_she heard Naruto think.

She knew Naruto was nearby, far enough that she couldn't sense him, especially since they had to suppress their chakra but close enough that he should be able to help if worse came to worse. It made her feel safe. Safe as being bait could feel.

Hinata continued trudging through the snow, leaving a trail of footprints behind her. It was dark now. They decided to put her out on the streets once the sun set and that was about an hour ago. The streets were already empty. They were pretty desolate when they first entered the town but now the roads looked completely deserted. _Everyone must be really scared, _Hinata thought to herself. _Six months of terror from a faceless killer. _She shivered in the cold. In a way the Hyuga really wanted the pedophile to come by so she could kick his ass and go back to the warm, hotel room and sip a cup of tea. _**Tea. Chai. **_She blushed at the thought.

_**Sorry, what was that Hinata?**_ Ino asked.

Hinata squeaked and covered her mouth. She was pressing the seal on her palm and didn't realize she projected that thought. She wondered if Naruto got it too.

_**Don't worry about it, Ino. **_Naruto said.

Hinata blushed. She shook her head. _No time to get distracted._ She had a job to do.

She didn't have a particular destination she was heading to. She was just walking around the village on the off chance that the killer would target her on their first try. _Maybe we'll get lucky, _she contemplated to herself. Hinata frowned. _Well it wouldn't be _lucky_ per se but I'll be happy if all goes well and I don't have to do this every other night. _She wiggled her fingers and toes. Her ears and nose were already numb and she felt her fingers freezing too. This wouldn't be good in an outright brawl.

She walked on for a while and sighed. _**No one is going to come and get me, **_she thought aloud to her friends.

_**Whadya mean? **_Naruto asked.

_**I mean…who would…**_she trailed off.

_**Hinata? **_

_**Nevermind, sorry.**_

_**Hinata talk to me, **_Naruto almost pleaded. He meant more in that sentence. Talk to him about why she practically ignored him on their way here. Talk to him about why she avoided his gaze. Talk to him about last night. Talk to him about _everything. _Did he do something wrong?

Hinata felt Naruto and Ino in her mind but sensed Ino fading into the background. The lover of gossip was allowing them some privacy. _**I mean…**_Hinata continued, targeting her thoughts to only Naruto now. _**I mean **_**who **_**would actually want to come and get **_**me?**

_**Hinata, I'm not sure what you're trying to say, **_she heard Naruto's confused voice echo in her mind and shivered. Somehow this made her feel closer to him.

_**If the killer saw me, why would he stop to take ME? Why would he choose **_**me?**_** Other than the fact that I have long and dark hair…**_

_**Because you're beautiful.**_

Her heart thudded in her chest. _**Naruto-kun…**_

_**Hinata, it's true. **_She heard him chuckle in her mind. _**You're a heartthrob. **_The kunoichi blushed._** You shouldn't look down on yourself so much. Man, I **_**wish **_**this killer, rapist, pervert guy wouldn't come to you but I doubt he could resist **_**you**_**. **__I barely can, _Naruto thought to himself.

Hinata let out a weak laugh. _**I'm not sure that's a compliment.**_

She heard the blonde laugh in her mind. _**I'm not sure either but…Hinata be confident in yourself. You have a lot to be confident about.**_

Hinata blushed. _**Naruto-kun…thank you. **_ She continued walking for some time and felt Ino resurface in her mind. Hinata wasn't sure if Naruto sensed her absence but she appreciated what the other woman did. She directed her thoughts just to her this time. _**Ino?**_

_**Yea?**_

_**Thank you.**_

_**Of course, Hinata. **_

Hinata stopped walking and screwed up her face in concentration. She opened her mouth slightly and her eyes fluttered shut. She sneezed.

"Bless you," a deep, smooth, voice came from behind her.

She turned quickly and saw a young man walking towards her. He appeared to be a couple heads taller than her, had tousled brown hair and dark, brown, engaging eyes. Hinata couldn't help thinking his voice was…alluring. His nose was red from the biting wind but he donned a small smile. He was dressed in all black except for a dark blue scarf.

"Thank you," Hinata said politely. Images of this man projected to the two ninjas stationed nearby.

_**Who the hell is that? **_Naruto asked sharply.

_**He's kind of cute, **_Ino said.

Hinata could sense Naruto's grumble. She bit back a laugh. _Is he jealous? _She thought, feeling oddly happy as she considered that.

"Sorry, did I say something funny?" the man asked flashing his white teeth, standing in front of Hinata. He was close; she could see freckles sprinkling his cheeks. "If it was thanks to me that you're smiling like that I'd feel very accomplished."

"Oh," Hinata uttered, at a loss for words. _No, it was Naruto who made me smile._ She felt flustered and she didn't know why. "I-I just thought of something funny."

She heard Ino laughing. _**He's flirting with you! Flirt with him Hinata!**_

_**No, don't! **_Naruto argued.

"Oh really?" The man asked. "Is it a joke? Can I hear it?"

_**What? **_Hinata asked overwhelmed. "What?" this time she said it out loud to the stranger in front of her.

_**Flirt with him, **_Ino repeated. _**Who knows if he's the killer and if he is well good for us. We found him on the first try and if he isn't good for **_**you **_**Hinata, 'cause he's cute!**_

Hinata blushed and she saw images of a frustrated Naruto cross her mind. _**He is kind of charming…**_Hinata thought.

_**What? **_She heard Naruto exclaim.

The man smiled. "What's your name?"

"Hin-" Hinata started to say when she heard Naruto hiss, _**Fake name, **_in her mind. "Hin-Hn-hmm…" Hinata winced.

_**Smooth, **_Ino said, laughing.

"Sorry what was that?" the brown haired man asked, smiling slyly.

"My name's Ino," Hinata said.

_**HINATA! **_Ino exclaimed and Hinata couldn't help but smile.

"Well…_Ino_," the man said, "My name's 'Imsingle.'"

_**Hinata don't! **_Naruto said too late.

"Nice you meet you, 'Imsingle,'" Hinata said bowing slightly.

"Oh you _are_, are you?" the man asked with a grin.

Hinata looked at him, puzzled, but he just laughed. Then it hit her and she blushed. "Oh, I should have caught that!" Hinata said with a light laugh.

"_**I'm single." **_Ino laughed. _**Nice one. **_

_**That was a terrible joke, **_Naruto mumbled.

_**Oh, shut up, you're just jealous, **_Ino said cheerfully, enjoying 'listening' in on Hinata's conversation.

Hinata ignored them, still embarrassed about the whole situation. "Can we start over?"

The man laughed and nodded. "Of course." He held out his hand. "My name is…Uso," he said.

Hinata took his hand; he had a firm grip she noticed. She didn't trust him but she couldn't have him knowing that. "My name is Ino," she reaffirmed.

"Nice to meet you _Ino,"_ he said. Hinata was sure he knew she was lying. "What a beautiful name." Hinata heard Ino squeal loudly in her mind and it took all her willpower not to flinch. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Hinata blushed and she heard Naruto groan and Ino scream some more. He was just so…_charming_ but him being at such a close proximity to her made her uncomfortable. She didn't know this man and he gave off an aura that just made her shiver. She wanted to run but she held her ground. The White Kunai Killer was said to wear all white but their weren't many reliable witnesses to that testament so who knew? _Maybe this could be him? Maybe we did get lucky and can finish this mission on one go. _

_**Maybe it's him, **_Naruto thought. Hinata smiled knowing that they were on board the same train of thought. _**Maybe I should get closer to Hinata just in case.**_

_**Calm down Naruto, **_Ino jutted in, suddenly serious. _**We don't know that yet and we can't compromise Hinata's identity. Remember. We lay low until we're **_**absolutely **_**certain that it's THE White Kunai Killer.**_ Suddenly her tone changed to cheerful again._** Hinata can handle this. I'm sure Hinata will be **_**happy **_**to handle this.**_

Hinata heard Naruto growl and her stomach did flips.

"Hey?" the man going by Uso waved his hand in front of her face. "You kinda spaced out on me there. You all right? Cold getting to you?"

Hinata apologized. "I'm fine thank you. It is a bit chilly though. I've been out here for a while."

"Haven't you heard about the killer on the loose? Why're you out here all by your lonesome?" Hinata stiffened and the man noticed. "Oh, don't be scared of me, I won't hurt you."

Hinata let out a weak chuckle. "I'm sure all killers would say that."

Uso laughed. "I promise you, I'm not him."

_**His teeth are so perfect, **_Hinata thought.

_**Hinata…focus…**_Naruto grumbled, not at all happy with the events taking place.

_**Hinata send me another image of him! **_Ino fawned. Hinata complied and Ino gushed over his freckles and messy hair and apparently overall flawless complexion.

_**Ino, you're giving me a headache! **_Naruto complained.

"Hey Ino," Uso said to Hinata. "You're doing it again. Spacing out."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hinata let out a flirtatious giggle, surprising the other two hidden ninjas and surprising herself too. "Sometimes it's like I have people talking in my head, you know?"

Uso smiled, moistening his lips. "Sure. But anyway, why _are _you out here by yourself? There's a rapist on the loose and a pretty, little thing like you shouldn't be out on the streets."

Hinata crinkled her eyebrows slightly, not liking his tone. "It's sweet of you for considering my wellbeing but I'll be fine," Hinata said, her body language indicating she was about to go.

"I can walk you to your destination," Uso said. "I'd feel bad if I learned something bad happened to you when I could have done something to help it."

_**Damn, he sure knows how to sweet-talk a girl, **_Ino exclaimed.

_**I know. **_Hinata couldn't help but agree.

_**He sickens me, **_Naruto's thought went unnoticed by the other two.

_**Oh man, Hinata, let's switch spots. I'd let him ravage me for sure, **_Ino said dreamily.

_**I think I'm going to puke, **_Naruto groaned. _**I'm pulling my hair out over here!**_

"Thank you for the offer Uso," Hinata said sweetly. "But I believe I can take care of myself."

Uso frowned and shrugged. "Sure. You were heading down this path though, right?" Hinata nodded slowly. "Well we might as well walk together until we have to split right?"

"I-I guess so."

He smiled at her. "Ino, there really is no need to be afraid of me," he said, sounding genuine.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" Hinata could think of several reasons. He was way too charming for it to be normal. There was a serial killer on the loose. He could be the pedophile. He could be _a_ pedophile. Her mind trailed off to all the things he _could_ be but she couldn't help but think that he really was actually sweet. "Thank you, Uso, really."

_**Aw, Hinata, I think you like him, **_Ino gushed.

_**I do not! **_

_**You do, **_Ino said in a singsong voice.

_**She does not! **_Naruto rumbled. Ino just laughed, loving to instigate.

The pair walked in silence for a little while as snow drifted lazily from the sky. Hinata felt his shoulder brush against hers and felt a thought project to the others when she didn't mean to. _**We're walking like a couple. **_She grit her teeth and unclenched the hand with the tag, waiting for Naruto's outburst.

_**You two are **_**not **_**are couple! **_Naruto exclaimed, sounding outraged, right on cue.

Hinata was about to apologize for the insinuation when Uso's voice called her back to reality.

"Why isn't your boyfriend walking you around with such a dangerous guy on the loose?" Uso questioned.

Hinata hesitated, a picture of Naruto flashing through her mind. _Boyfriend? _

Uso waved his hand in front of her face. "Hey, Ino? Spacing out again."

"Oh, sorry," Hinata mumbled. "What did you want to know?"

Uso smiled. "Let me cut to the chase," he said, stuffing his hands in his pocket and looking at her from the corner of his eyes as they walked. "You have a boyfriend?"

_**Say yes! **_Naruto hissed.

_**I-I-**_Hinata reprimanded herself. _I'm stuttering in my _mind_ too?_

_**Hinata, **_Naruto said sharply, _**Say yes!**_

"Yes," Hinata said obediently.

"Sorry, yes to what?" Uso asked with a grin. "You did that spacing out thing again. I'm curious as to whether you really meant that answer or if you're just shooting me down nicely."

Hinata heard Ino laugh. _**As if **_**any**_** single, straight, girl would shoot **_**you **_**down, Uso. **_For some reason Hinata parroted what Ino said too.

"As if any single, straight girl would shoot you down, Uso," Hinata said, her eyes slowly widening and her hand covered her mouth when she realized what she uttered.

_**WHAT?**_ She heard Naruto in her head.

_**I don't know why I said that! **_Hinata exclaimed. _**It just…slipped.**_

Uso let out a loud, deep laugh. "Oh, guess I lost my chance with you, eh, Ino? Snooze, you lose."

Hinata gave him a half-hearted smile, shrugging.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Uso questioned.

_**Uso,**_ she heard Ino moan.

"Uso," Hinata repeated. "Oh! No, that's not what I meant to say."

_**Hinata, what the hell? **_Naruto said brazenly, clearly upset.

_**It's not me! **_Hinata protested. _**It's Ino! Her mental abilities are strong; they're overlapping with mine. I just-I-I'm sorry.**_

"Me, eh?" Uso questioned winking at her. Hinata heard Naruto growl in her mind.

"No, I-I" Hinata stuttered. "I don't know why I said that." She felt her cheeks redden and not from the weather.

"I think I know why you said it," Uso said, stopping in front of her.

_**Too close, **_Hinata thought.

_**That's it, **_Naruto hissed. _**I'm going to beat that guys ass.**_

_**Naruto, no! **_Ino exclaimed. _**Wait! We don't know if it's him!**_

Uso placed a hand on her shoulder before she could try and back up. "I think you're tired of your old _boyfriend_."

_**Can I kill him now please? **_Naruto asked, emotionlessly.

"Oh no, it's not that," Hinata insisted. "My boyfriend's very nice."

"But if you didn't have one, you'd consider me?"

_**Hinata…**_ she heard Naruto groan.

"I-I-"

"You seem nervous," Uso said softly, stepping closer.

"Please let go of me," Hinata said stiffly.

_**Hinata, kick him in the balls, **_Naruto said mercilessly.

_**Naruto…**_she heard Ino mumble. She could practically feel Ino rolling her eyes.

_**Is this a good enough hint? **_Naruto asked roughly. _**Can I go help her? I just want to punch this guy.**_

_**No, **_Ino stated. _**Naruto, Hinata can handle herself perfectly fine with this Uso guy. He doesn't come off as the White Kunai Killer to me for some reason.**_

Naruto groaned. _**Well maybe he decided not to wear white today! Hinata kick him in the balls!**_

Hinata ignored the conversation in her head and removed Uso's hand from her shoulder and took a step back.

Uso looked angry for a fleeting second but then he looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, did I make you upset?" Hinata remained silent. "I just don't believe that you have a boyfriend," he said harshly.

Hinata felt hurt emotionally by that comment. "Why? Do I look like someone boys would not want to date?" she asked stiffly. She remembered what Naruto had said just minutes before Uso came along: _Because you're beautiful. _

Uso looked at her in confusion. "What? No. Any straight guy would want to fuc-date you," Uso said, coughing. "It's just when you replied it seemed forced."

Suddenly Naruto's presence in her mind seemed much stronger than before_. **What did he say? **_Naruto exclaimed in her mind. _**Did he say fuck? Oh, I'm so going to kill him! That sweet-talking, manipulative, perverted, bastard!**_

"I think I'm going to go now," Hinata said in a strained voice.

"Hey, no, wait," Uso said, grabbing her wrist as she turned.

_**He better let go of her, **_Naruto growled.

"Let go," Hinata said uncharacteristically cold. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

"Sorry Ino," Uso said, still holding on to her wrist, though softer now. "I didn't mean that. I just wanted…I just had a bad break up and was looking for someone to distract me."

_**You are not a rebound girl,**_ Ino hissed in her mind.

"I'm not a rebound girl," Hinata echoed.

"I'll pay."

"_What?"_ Hinata asked, eyes widening.

_**WHAT? **_Naruto and Ino yelled at the same time. Hinata cringed.

"I'm not-I'm not a-" Hinata stuttered. _**Prostitute,**_ Ino whispered. "I'm not a prostitute," Hinata said snatching her wrist back. She turned and walked a few steps away when Uso called out.

"Well why're you walking around alone then?"

_**What a dick! **_Ino said, shocked.

"Because I simply wanted to walk," Hinata stated frostily. The uncomfortable feeling she felt around him in the beginning began to creep back up.

"Oh come on," Uso said, walking quickly to keep up with her. "You were flirting with me."

"Stay away from me," Hinata said in a warning tone.

Uso laughed harshly. "Oh please, what would a weak, little girl like you do to me?"

Hinata felt Naruto's anger flare up in her mind and heard Ino curse the brown haired man out. "I can do a lot to protect myself," Hinata stated vaguely. "I'd advise you not to try and find out."

Uso seemed to contemplate what she was saying but still continued to follow her. Hinata turned down the road, her feet sinking into the snow with each step. She huffed and wiped snow out of her eyes, which picked up recently. The wind blew the snowflakes down harder and faster.

"How about just one little kiss?" she heard Uso ask.

_**Can I go to Hinata now? **_Naruto asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

Hinata whipped around and looked at him in utter confusion. "What is _wrong_ with you? Why do you treat women as pieces of meat?"

Uso looked at her in surprise. "That's a pretty broad statement."

Hinata felt so unlike herself as she said the things she did. "You repel me."

"Just one kiss."

_**He's so desperate! **_Ino exclaimed.

_**He's so dead. **_Naruto stated.

_**He's so weird…**_ Hinata thought.

Uso started walking towards her again and Hinata backed up a few steps. Her instincts screamed at her to run. "Get away from me. I'll scream."

"Oh please," Uso said with a dark chuckle. "No one's going to leave their homes now. Not while there's a killer on the loose. No, no one would put their life on the line for some stranger," Hinata narrowed her eyes. "Oh don't worry, I'm not that rapist."

"I don't trust you."

Uso shrugged. "Don't then, it's true though. Just give me one kiss and I promise I'll let you go unharmed."

"And if I refuse?"

"I can't promise your safety."

"Safety from you?"

"Safety from the killer."

"How would you help me if he came along?" Hinata asked, still retreating slowly.

"I doubt he'd try anything if he saw a big, strong, man like me with a beautiful, young thing like you," he said, stalking the Hyuga.

"You're very humble," Hinata said sarcastically.

"Let me just cop a feel," the man said softly, his voice deepening. Hinata saw his eyes glazed over and she sent images of the entire thing to the other two ninjas.

_**He touches you in anyway and I will rip his arms off.**_ Naruto hissed.

_**He might just be a civilian…**_Ino thought, more to herself than the others.

_**Who cares! **_Naruto exclaimed. _**No one should act like this. Hinata just give him a solid punch in his pretty boy face. Or kick him down below. Send me thoughts of his look of pain though.**_

_**Why is he looking at me like that? **_Hinata asked innocently.

_**He looks…aroused. **_Ino explained.

_**Fuck, he really wants you Hinata. **_Naruto snarled, a protective instinct flaring up inside him.

_** Hinata, time to leave. **_Ino said. _**I really doubt he's the one we're looking for. This is a waste of time. I take back what I said about letting him ravage me. He's a pig. Don't let him touch you.**_

Hinata nodded in understanding. "I'm going to leave now," Hinata said slowly. "If you follow me any further I won't hesitate to defend myself."

"Defend yourself?" Uso asked. "I'm not doing anything wrong. What if I just need to go in the same direction as you happen to be going?"

"Then I ask that you continue on your way."

Uso didn't move.

Hinata shivered. The look he gave her was disconcerting. His eyes were dark and his smile seemed forced. He licked his lips.

_**He makes me want to throw up. **_Naruto groaned.

_**Tell me about it…**_Hinata whispered in her mind.

Uso took one step towards her and Hinata stood her ground. Either he left or she _would_ use force on him. "I." He took another step forward. "Just." He stood in front of her. "Want." He reached his arms out to grab hold of her shoulders. "One." Hinata raised her arms. "Kiss." He attempted to pull her to him but using the palms of her hands she pushed him away roughly, careful not to use any chakra. She heard his breath leave his lungs and brought one knee up between his legs.

_**Yea! Finally! **_She heard Naruto yell happily in her head. _**Perfect, Hinata, as always! Do it again! One more for luck maybe!**_

Hinata couldn't help but smile.

She couldn't fight her traditional Hyuga style in case someone was watching. Hiding her eyes would have been pointless if she started attacking him with the gentle fist. She also didn't want to overdo it with her fighting skills. She had to maintain the image of being a normal girl. Displaying a few self-defense moves would not jeopardize the mission.

Uso yelped in pain and sank to his knees, holding onto his sensitive area.

"Fuck you!" he groaned. "I was so nice to you why the fuck didn't you just kiss me you god damn prude!"

_**Just because a girl doesn't respond to catcalls doesn't make her a prude, **_Ino stated in her head. _**That jackass, thinking he's some heavenly gift to women. **_

_**He makes me ashamed, **_Naruto said nonchalantly. _**But anyway, how **_**dare**_** he talk to you like that.**_

"Fuck you!" Uso moaned again. He was looking at the ground, still clutching himself in pain. "God dammit! I just wanted to fuck you senseless. Bitch!"

_**What the hell did he say? **_Naruto hissed sharply. _**Ino, please, can I go to Hinata now?**_ He sounded desperately angry.

_**No,**_ Ino said hesitantly. She was upset at the words coming out of the brunettes' mouth and would have gladly released Naruto on him if it didn't hurt their cover story. _**Sorry, Naruto.**_

Uso breathed heavily, still in pain. "Whore! Mother fucking bitch! Parading around your goods-"

Hinata tried to ignore his harsh words and gripped his head to keep it steady. She brought her other knee up to his face, effectively hitting his nose, perhaps breaking it. Red splashed onto the white snow and she stepped back. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. He was just a civilian from what she could tell. A, deceptive, sick, pervert, but a normal person nonetheless.

With that she turned and left, not looking back.

If she did she might have noticed someone watching her from a darkened alley.

Someone that was adept at going on unseen.

Some wearing clothes that blended in with the unblemished snow.

Someone that was watching her for a while now.

That someone uttered one word, "Liar."

The White Kunai Killer smiled, his thoughts taking a dark turn.

* * *

Okay so I had a lot of technical difficulties when working on this chapter. If you happen to notice any grammatical errors please feel free to message me! I did edit before but things happened and...basically I most likely missed something. Anyway...

Something's going to happen soon, very soon.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Intrusion**

He had a sudden urge to kiss her. Her face was flushed and she was biting her lip, running her tongue along it innocently. He knew she wasn't trying to be seductive but that little act sent shivers down his spine.


	7. Chapter 6- Intrusion

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 6- Intrusion**

* * *

Light streamed in through the gaps in the blind and Hinata squeezed her eyes shut tighter, in an attempt to block out the light. She heard shuffling but ignored it and shifted in her bed slightly to get more comfortable. She curled up her legs near her chest and snuggled her face into the soft pillow. There was a bang, some whispered cursing and she quickly sat up in bed, her ninja instincts coming to play. Her byakugan activated, she glanced around the room and saw the perpetrator standing by the bathroom door.

"Sorry Hinata," Naruto said, rubbing his hair, grinning nervously. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Hinata rubbed her eyes and gave him a small smile. She blushed slightly thinking how she slept in the same room as him. Not the same bed, no, but it still made her giddy thinking about it.

When they returned from her little night out in town Hinata was all but ready to collapse into bed but Ino had insisted she share Naruto's room. Naruto didn't seem to mind at the suggestion and Hinata noticed a light blush graced his cheeks, as well as hers. Ino had laughed, poking fun at them slightly. Then she explained that she planned on heading out early in the morning to ask around for any information on the White Kunai Killer from the locals. She insisted Hinata sleep in and Ino didn't want to wake her up as she got ready for the day. She didn't want her getting a cold from the freezing weather and lack of sleep. She also needed her to be prepared and completely rested for their next patrol. Naruto offered to join her on her mini recon mission but Ino waved him away, joking by saying he would just hold her back.

"Lady Tsunade specifically instructed you to watch Hinata and I intend to follow her instructions," Ino had said but she had another reason she wanted them to room together. She had smiled to herself slyly. "Well I hope you actually get _sleep_ tonight, Hinata! And I hope I won't be needing ear plugs." She left the blushing ninjas in the hall as she tossed out Hinata's bag and shut and locked the door to apparently _her_ hotel room. Ino left Hinata no choice but to sleep in the same room as Naruto, unless she forcefully entered the locked room, but Hinata wasn't the type to do that. Hinata shuffled in Naruto's hotel room nervously, secretly both saddened and happy that there were two beds. She noticed one bed with still crisp and clean sheets and the other that Naruto had claimed, messy and unmade. She quickly changed into her simple pajamas consisting of fleece pants and a long sleeved shirt as Naruto used the restroom and slid into the newly made bed.

The Hyuga didn't mind at all, sharing a room with Naruto. She was shivering from being out in the cold for so long and he had piled blankets on top of her. He made sure she had everything she needed and she thanked him for being so kind. He had switched the light off and slipped into the second bed in the room once she had settled down. They whispered good night to one another and she fell asleep rather quickly, exhausted from walking around all night.

"It's okay Naruto-kun," Hinata said yawning, her thoughts back to the present.

She stretched, arms high above her head, chest jutting out, and the blonde blushed, looking away. _Bad, Naruto, _he chastised to himself. _Stop being ridiculous._ Now his thoughts wandered to the night before. Hinata had fallen asleep quickly, from what he could tell, but it took him a bit longer. He had lay awake staring at the ceiling, his body very aware of the fact that the Hyuga lay just a few feet away from him. The sound of her slow, steady breaths slowly and eventually lulled him to sleep.

"You should be sleeping," Naruto said, stuffing his clothes in his bag. "We got home late and it's only like ten now."

"It's ten already?" Hinata asked, shocked. She removed the covers and slipped out of bed heading in the direction of the bathroom.

"Yea, but we probably came back from the patrol at like four," Naruto said, his eyes following the kunoichi. "Hinata, where you going?"

"To get dressed," she said. "I won't take long," she said smiling and shutting the bathroom door quietly.

Naruto heard the shower turn on and realized that only a thin wall separated him from a naked Hinata. He felt heat rush to his face and turned away from the shower. _What's wrong with me lately? I think I need some fresh air._

* * *

Hinata stepped out of the bathroom some time later, fully clothed, and saw that the hotel room was empty. _Where's Naruto-kun?_ She put her stuff away and saw that Naruto had made both the beds. _How sweet of him. _She sat down on the edge of the bed, wondering where he could have gone and what she should do. She was sure Ino was out trying to gather intel about the White Kunai Killer. She supposed she could do that too and just as she came to that decision she heard the front door creak open slowly.

She quickly got in a defensive stance, reflexively activated her byakugan and saw that it was Naruto. He froze, eyes wide at the Hyuga ready to attack him. She let out a weak laugh, apologized and sat back down on the bed.

"Well, now I _really_ know I shouldn't worry about you when I leave you alone," Naruto said laughing. He locked the door behind him and handed her a small travel mug and placed some wrapped pastries on the bedside table. "I got some breakfast…or is it lunch?"

"Brunch?"

"I got some brunch," Naruto explained, grinning. "Got you your favorite too. Cinnamon rolls."

"Ah, thank you Naruto-kun!"

"I also got us _chai_," Naruto said, sitting down across from her, the bed sinking slightly.

Naruto saw some pink creep up Hinata's neck. He was sure she was thinking about their little make-out session. He sure was. "Th-thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, about to take a sip.

"Careful, it's hot," Naruto warned softly, his eyes glazing over. Hinata recognized that look. That person Uso looked at her like that last night. Uso's gaze made her feel uncomfortable but the sultry look Naruto was giving her made her skin tingle. "The shop owner recommended _masala chai_ so I got that for myself because I wasn't sure if you'd want that," he went on, taking a slow sip from his mug. "Do you want a taste?"

Hinata couldn't tear her eyes away from his blue ones and nodded slowly. He smiled and placed his mug on the floor, doing the same with hers. _Déjà vu, _Hinata thought right before she felt his lips on hers and her mind went blank.

Naruto slowly lay Hinata down on her back, his lips not leaving hers. She shifted as he placed his legs on either side of hers, essentially straddling her. Both his hands cupped her face and her fingers clung to the chest of his jacket. She didn't question why he kissed her. She wanted this just as badly as he did. Years and years of yearning for him finally paid off and that night a few days before just added fuel to the flames. She craved more. He craved more.

His hands trailed down the length of her body, stopping at her waist. _She loves me,_ he thought. _Does she know how I feel? _He felt her shifting and responding to his touches and his heart fluttered. _Why else would she let me touch her like this? _He pulled away, both of them breathing heavily.

"Hinata," he whispered, staring down at her. Her lips were parted and her eyes were half lidded. He felt his heart skip a beat. "Hinata, what I said last night. About you having a boyfriend. I meant it," he was nervous now. "Ya know…if you want."

Hinata blinked and it made her smile at how sensitive he was being. She was letting him touch her like a lover and she was sure her face was bright red but she didn't care. "I want it," she said softly.

His eyes brightened. _How'd I get so lucky? How'd a girl like Hinata fall for a guy like me? _"So Hinata, will you be my girlfriend?" Naruto asked, his lips hovering over hers.

"Yes, Naruto-kun," she whispered.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, his voice deep.

"You never have to ask."

He smiled and kissed her tenderly, massaging her lips with his. His hands trailed up her body and he hesitated. She noticed. She pulled away and looked at him. He was biting his lip and his eyes begged for permission. Hinata was nervous but she trusted the ninja on top of her. She knew he wouldn't do anything to hurt her and he didn't want to scare her either so the shy kunoichi did something very unlike herself.

She unzipped her light purple jacket.

"Hinata-" Naruto croaked out, unsure if she would feel uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, revealing her fishnet shirt underneath. She avoided his eyes, suddenly ashamed of her actions.

She heard Narutos breathing hitch and turned away, her hair covering her face. "Hinata," Naruto said, his voice hoarse. "You don't know how long I waited for this."

She looked at him confused. His eyes were clouded and the look he gave her made her blush. It made her feel beautiful. "I-I-"

Her words were cut off when she felt his hands on her stomach. Slowly they crept up, brushing softly against her skin. Hinata started breathing faster, slightly nervous and slightly excited. Naruto watched her; unsure if what he was doing was right. He moved his hands higher until they came to her breasts, his skin separated from hers by the thin fabric of her bra. He heard her inhale sharply and wondered if he did anything wrong.

"Hinata-?" The young women said nothing. He had a sudden urge to kiss her. Her face was flushed and she was biting her lower lip, running her tongue along it innocently. He knew she wasn't trying to be seductive but that little act sent shivers down his spine. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own once again. Hinata let out a little gasp and he took this opportunity to gently probe the inside of her mouth with his tongue. The feeling was strange to the both of them. As he continued kissing her he massaged her breasts. He felt sudden vibrations coming from her mouth and realized Hinata _moaned. _

The conclusion thrilled him. He was making her feel _good_ and he felt more confident with his actions. He moved away from her lips and she mewled in protest. He chuckled softly and placed kisses down her throat, stopping to kiss where he felt her pulse. She arched her back into him and he deduced that that was a sensitive area. He continued to nibble and suck on that spot as she shifted underneath him. Her movements made him groan as she rubbed against his hardened member.

He blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry Hinata," he croaked, his voice deep. "I-"

"It's alright Naruto-kun," she said, her face scarlet. "It's-it's nice to know that your body is reacting this way because of me."

He laughed. "Why're you blushing?" She pouted, her eyes dark and her look seductive, and his laughter caught in his throat. "Don't do that Hinata," he said with a groan. She tilted her head, puzzled. "You keep that up," he said running a finger across her lips lightly, "And I won't be able to control myself." He grinned and she felt heat rise up to her face one more. "Kurama's already yelling at me to take you." Naruto froze. "I can't believe I said that out loud."

Hinata giggled. She was taking this surprisingly well and she was simply glad she hadn't fainted. She was sure she was going to several times during their…session…but she urged herself not to. Naruto just talked about _sleeping_ with her and she _giggled._ _How I've grown…_Hinata thought to herself.

Naruto was watching her and she shifted under his gaze. "Why're you looking at me like that?" she questioned. He was hovering above her, smiling broadly.

"You're beautiful and you make me happy."

Hinata felt her heart soar.

_**Wow you guys are sappy, **_a voice echoed in their heads. Naruto jumped off of Hinata in shock, rolling over beside her.

_**Ino?**_ He exclaimed angrily. _**How are you-Why are you-**_

They heard Ino laugh in their minds. _**Well I'm assuming you accidently pressed the tag on your palms. Judging by the image of you I got from Hinata your hands are pressed against the bed and hers are curled up against your jacket. How cute!**_

Hinata felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. She hid her face in her hands. This was almost as bad as Ino actually being present in the room while Naruto explored her body! Hinata moaned. Naruto looked at her with a frown, upset at the blonde invading their minds.

_**Ino, what the hell!**_ He yelled. _**How long?**_

_**Oh just the end, don't worry about it, **_she answered. _**I only came in when you called Hinata beautiful just now. That was really adorable. Aw…you're a romantic at heart.**_

_**Ino…**_Naruto said in a warning tone.

_**Don't 'Ino' me, Naruto Uzumaki, **_the woman chastised. _**I told you two to take off the seals when they weren't needed. You two wore them all night?**_

_**Yes…**_Hinata spoke in their minds quietly. She wouldn't look at Naruto.

They heard Ino groan in their minds. _**Well, try not to do that again. Remember it slowly drains your chakra and I'm not sure exactly what it can do to your minds. This is kind of a test run, **_she said as if it weren't a problem._** Don't worry though. No point in taking them off now, we should get going soon. We're guests at that Mizuki girls wedding remember? The wedding's not until like a week or something, I don't remember exactly. Not really important though. We have to greet the leader and her father, Sora. He knows why we're really here but we have to go for formality reasons. 'Kay, well I'll get out of your heads now. Meet me out in the hall in…say…five minutes! **_Ino said happily, her presence disappearing.

_**Okay, sure, whatever, **_Naruto grumbled, slipping off the bed.

Hinata followed in suit, fumbling with the zipper on her jacket. She was quivering slightly, still unhinged from the intrusion. She felt large, warm hands cover hers and looked up to see Naruto facing her. He zipped up the coat slowly and gave her an uncertain smile, one that she returned.

"I thought you were mad at me," he said nervously.

"Oh no, I'm not mad Naruto-kun," she said reassuringly. "I-I'm just a little bit…"

"Mortified? Humiliated? Ashamed?" Naruto asked with a chuckle.

"Embarrassed."

"Don't be," he said, moving hair from her face. "She didn't see much. If anything _I _should be the one that's embarrassed," he said, his face reddening. "She heard what I said…that was meant for you only."

"Thank you," Hinata said sincerely, eyes bright.

"Don't thank me, Hinata," Naruto spoke up, cupping her face. "After all you've done for me and all those times you've been there for me _I _should be the one thanking _you_."

Hinata shook her head. "No. I'm still grateful for all the things you did for me."

"The things I wasn't even aware I was doing."

"Either way, they helped me. And so I thank you."

"You're too good for me," he said and before she could retort he gave her a deep, lingering kiss. "Now if you'll excuse me," he said heading towards the bathroom, his face red. "I have something I need to take care of."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three ninjas getting ready inside the hotel room, someone with bad thoughts in mind was once again stalking the streets. His hands were shaking. He needed to make another kill. He _needed _it. He was like an addict suffering from withdrawal. _How long has it been since my last woman? Not that long…I don't remember,_ he thought to himself, his words jumbled in his mind._ What number am I on? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? _The man furrowed his eyebrows, unsure. _I'm pretty sure I had one last night. It doesn't matter. Not enough. Not until I get what I want. _He now had a different goal in mind. That woman he saw walking the streets last night. He wanted _her_. But he would wait, he decided.

He had followed her as discreetly as possible when he first caught sight of her as he stalked the streets. He thought about taking her immediately before that bumble headed fool with no class tried to kiss _his_ girl. The girl _he_ was targeting! How _dare_ he. So instead he followed _him_ home. He already lost the real woman he wanted to another man and he wasn't about to let that happen again. Reluctantly last night he watched that raven-haired goddess walk away, leaving that crying fool on the ground. _She was strong. Feisty. I'll enjoy her. _He wanted so badly to just take her on the sleet. He wanted to pepper the flawless, white, snow with her blood and juices. But he controlled himself.

Once that idiot Uso picked himself up, cursing the entire time, the man dressed in white followed, not really trying to hide. This Uso was an idiot. He watched him walk into a bar and waited outside patiently for him, playing with the kunai hidden in his coat. Finally, hours later the idiot stumbled back out side, drunk. Very drunk. The chase went on. At first he didn't know where Uso was heading but he didn't care. He'd allow him to do what he wanted. He'd allow him to think he was safe. _How dare he try to kiss that beautiful, young woman. _He continued trailing the drunk into the darker side of the city. The houses were more run down, broken bottles littered the streets, stray pets roamed the roads and a weird feeling of dread hung in the air.

Finally Uso stopped in front of a quaint little house. _His home maybe?_

"Hey, you stupid bitch," Uso yelled loudly, knocking on the door. "Open the door!"

Some time passed where the only sounds heard on the streets were Uso's cursing and bangs on the door. Finally the curtain covering the window on the ground floor shifted. The stalkers eyes narrowed. From what he could tell the girl peeping outside had dark hair. _Interesting. Maybe I'll be needing two kunai tonight. _He never killed a man. But people can change. He thought about how this Uso clung on to that woman's shoulder a few hours ago. _I think I can make an exception. _

"Go away!" the girl yelled, sounding slightly frightened, from the window.

"Open up you damn skank!" Uso drawled. "I'm giving you one chance here! I got keys to this god-forsaken place and you know it. Open the door yourself and I promise I won't hurt you tonight."

"You're lying," the girl said, her voice hesitant. "I never wanted to see you again. Take your abusive ass elsewhere before I call the cops, I mean it!"

The White Kunai Killer watched the scene in amusement.

"Well, _I_ mean it, you dumb whore. I'll count to three!"

"We broke up! I broke up with you!"

"One…"

"I'm going to call the cops. I will! Get out of here!"

"Two…"

The curtains swished shut.

"Three." Uso finished, fishing out keys from his pocket.

_Huh. _The man watching looked on. _He really had keys then. _Uso tossed the keys to the ground and instead picked up a rock and threw it through the window in the door. _Or maybe not…_He heard the girl screaming inside and watched Uso wipe away the broken shards of glass from the window. He stuck his hand through the now gaping hole and fumbled with the lock. _Maybe this drunk isn't that stupid._ The killers' eyes fell to the keys littering the ground and shook his head slowly. _Or maybe he is. _Uso pulled the door open and entered, the girls screaming cut short with a loud bang. It sounded like skin on wood.

The White Kunai Killer walked towards the house, careful not to step on any broken glass or leave any evidence that he was here. _Maybe I can make this killing look like a domestic dispute…I'm open to new things. Why not? Kill a man for the first time and maybe they won't suspect it was me? Maybe. Maybe not. _

He walked into the darkened hallway, following the grunts of pain and shouting. He stood at the edge of the kitchen and saw Uso raise his hand and slap the women. Her dark, long hair went flying as she stumbled into the wooden counter. She clung to it, unsteady on her feet. The killer frowned.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled, her lip bleeding.

"Stupid bitch, you think you could just break up with me?" Uso asked, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking her back to him. She yelped in pain and tried to punch him away. Uso laughed. "Hit me all you want, a weak, little, fuck like you can't do anything to hurt me." The man watching them from the darkness smirked. _Ah but that beautiful, young girl in the snow did some damage to you didn't she? _He remembered watching him cry on the ground, as the snow soaked his knees.

"Fuck you!" the girl yelled. She was strong, the man noted.

"No, fuck _you_!" Uso yelled, throwing her at the wall.

The White Kunai Killer had enough of this idiot. With a flick of his wrist he sent a kunai flying. The man smiled. _Perfect. Right in the heart. _Uso looked to see where the projectile came from and saw the man dressed in white step out.

"What the fuck?" Uso sputtered, clutching at the kunai. The alcohol in his system had his mind muddled and he swayed on his feet as blood dribbled through his fingers.

"I wouldn't if I were you," the killer warned, nodding at Uso's grip on the kunai. The brown haired man didn't listen. He pulled out the kunai and blood gushed out. "I warned you."

Uso collapsed to his knees and looked at the girl cowering at the wall, her eyes wide. The White Kunai Killer wondered why she wasn't running and noticed her ankle bent at a weird angle. _Her little boyfriend must have done that_, the killer thought, remembering how tightly she had gripped the counter.

"This is your fault you fucking whore!" Uso gasped, as blood poured out of him.

The White Kunai Killer stepped towards him, picking up the red and white kunai from the ground. "Oh please, you brought this on yourself," he disciplined. "You need to treat your woman with respect, you foul mouthed man." With that he took the kunai and slit Uso's throat. The woman whimpered and the man dressed in white turned to face her. "Are you scared?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, I guess you should be. I told him you should treat your woman with respect but seeing that you're not really _my_ woman, I can treat you anyway I like."

The girl opened her mouth to scream but was forced to cough when she felt something sharp against her throat. She felt herself choking. _Blood,_ she thought. _I'm choking on my own blood._

"Oh, I forgot," the killer said with a shake of his head as he watched the woman bleed out in front of him. Her body was turning cold quick and not because he had left the door open. "I never tried this with a young, _dead_, woman yet. Well tonight is a night to try new things I suppose," he said as he unzipped his pants.

* * *

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Twisted**

"'_You're lucky though,' the girl said, running her fingers across her tear stricken face. 'Normally the woman he would take would be found all torn and bloody but I didn't want him to hurt you that much. So sweet of me, huh?' she felt lips on her own. _This twisted woman was kissing her!_ 'Don't worry. I'll kill you first before he stabs you.'"_


	8. Chapter 7- Twisted

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 7- Twisted**

* * *

He slipped through the window as stealthily as possible. Uso was dead, he lost track of that dark haired beauty from last night and it was nearing twelve in the afternoon. Normally he would not be in the open when so many people would be walking about but whether it be the cold or the fear they felt for him, a faceless murderer, the roads were continuously abandoned more and more these days. He had turned his clothes inside out to hide any stains, but he had been very careful. He had fashioned his clothes to be black on the inner material and white on the outside. White because he enjoyed its pure color and black in case he _did _get stains on it. Blood seeping through the fabric would be much less noticeable when he wore his outfit inside out. He's always careful. As he stalked the streets he watched for any potential victims. He had a new goal in mind yes, but that wouldn't stop him from having some fun.

He noticed a young blonde man dressed in atrociously bright orange clothing and winced. How someone could wear such clothing… He thought about killing him but shook his head. What would that accomplish? As if a simple peasant like him would have any woman worth his time. He watched him balance two mugs and pastry bags precariously as he left the shop and laughed. He dropped something. _Cinnamon roll? _The man shook his head. It didn't matter. He was tired from the events last night and at the moment he just wanted to sleep.

Now he was back in his room and he realized he wasn't alone.

_She_ was there.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Out, don't worry about it," he replied, slipping off his coat.

"Is that blood?"

"No."

"Why're you lying to me?"

"Don't concern yourself with this," he said, his tone harsh.

"Don't tell me what to do," she sniped. "You think I didn't realize what you've been up to?" The man said nothing. "Talk to me," she commanded.

"Do you fear me?"

"Of course not," she said with a huff.

"Do you fear what I do?"

She laughed. "Actually," she started, sounding excited. "I think I enjoy it."

He looked at her sharply. "What?"

"I said, I think I enjoy it," she said slowly. "Is that weird? I think it might be weird."

"I'm not sure," he said, tilting his head. "Why would…why would _you_ enjoy what I do?"

"Some people deserve it," she said coldly and vaguely.

"I'm surprised. This coming from you. Seems a bit twisted."

"People change. You sure did."

"We both did. Since-"

"I know." They stood in silence. "I understand how you feel about me," she said, breaking the stillness.

He laughed bitterly. "You can't even fathom how I feel about you."

"I know what you feel for woman."

He let out a barking laugh. "This is different."

"It's not."

"You don't think of me that way," he stated, his tone dripping with regret.

"Of course not, I can't."

"And if you could?"

"I wouldn't," she said in a disgusted tone.

He turned away from her, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She placed a hand on his shoulder. She hesitated. "Can I…I'd like to…" She sighed. "I already implied that I think what you do is intriguing…" she said slowly. He straightened her back and looked him straight in the eye, his mask being removed. "I'd like to join you when you make your next kill."

He raised his eyebrows. He didn't question her. He would allow her to do what she wanted. He always craved to fulfill her desires. Still, he was concerned. "Once you do this you can't take it back."

"I want to," she said stubbornly.

He smiled sadly. "Well then, anything for you."

"When?" she asked, her voice eager.

He wanted to please her.

"Tonight."

* * *

The meeting with the leader Sora was quick. They simply reported what they were trying to do and the man wished them luck. He was worried for all the woman in his village and even more so considering his young daughters wedding was just around the corner. He didn't want the White Kunai Killer to constantly instill fear in his people during a time that should be joyous. Naruto thought that the villagers were way past feeling simple fear. They were terrified. But he remained silent. Sora promised to keep them informed on any news that he learned about the rapist.

Now the three ninjas were heading back to their hotel room.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Naruto asked.

"Well we can't do much until night fall," Ino said. "There haven't been any kills made while the sun has been out, from what we know, so it would be pointless if we paraded Hinata around now."

"Should we try and gather more Intel?" Hinata questioned.

"I tried," Ino said with a shake of her head. "Most people don't have any information and I feel like even if they did…they would be too scared to say anything. But the killer has been real careful. We have nothing. But he's bound to make a mistake."

"So what do we do now?" Naruto repeated.

"I don't know," Ino said frustrated. "Why do you keep asking _me_?"

"You're the leader apparently," Naruto said as if that was obvious.

"Well I'm going to go take a nap," Ino said with a huff. "We all slept late and I woke up early in hope that I could catch people willing to talk."

"Yes, we'll need you at your best tonight." Hinata said.

Ino nodded. "Well I'll see you guys later. You and Naruto can do what ever you want now," Ino said with a sly look, peeling off the tag on her palm. "Try not to have _too_ much fun. Remember we're here for a mission."

She slipped away before the other two ninjas had a chance to say anything. They stood in awkward silence for a little bit. Hinata stared at the ground, shuffling her feet. Naruto glanced at her and slowly slipped his gloved hand into hers. She looked up, surprised, and saw his smiling face.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Lunch?"

"Of course, m'lady," he said jokingly. "What are you craving? Lunch's on me."

Hinata pretended to think. "How about ramen?"

Naruto's face lit up. "I saw a little ramen shop not so far from here!" he exclaimed. "Aw, Hinata, you're fantastic!" She giggled as he dragged her away.

* * *

They entered the ramen shop and walked to the counter, hand in hand. A young man with dirty blonde hair was cleaning the counter and a young woman with wavy brown hair was cooking something in the back. The man looked up at the approaching couple and smiled.

"Hello, what can I help you two with?" he said, his eyes darting from Naruto and lingering on Hinata with a strange glint in his eyes. "My name is Otto and that's my wife, Tsuma," he said gesturing to the woman in the back. She gave them a strained smile.

"We'd like some of your best ramen!" Naruto said jovially after greeting them politely.

The man tore his gaze away from Hinata and smiled largely at the blonde ninja. "Of course, of course, please take a seat. We'll get your food to you right away!"

Naruto and Hinata settled down at a small table near the windows shifting from topic to topic. Occasionally they would hear angry whispers coming from the couple running the shop. Each time someone came to order the man, Otto, would relay the message to his wife without making eye contact and she would mutely go to work.

Hinata watched them sadly, thinking about her current relationship. _That wouldn't happen to us, would it?_

Naruto was watching her. "Don't worry Hinata," he said, covering her hand with his. "It's probably just a little fight they had."

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Maybe."

Someone coughed next to them. They looked up and saw Otto waiting with a pen and pad in hand. "Sorry to bother you," he said, seeming to direct his comments towards Hinata. "I was wondering if you two would like something to drink along with your ramen… which my _wife_ is making at the moment," he said the word wife venomously but Naruto didn't notice because he was slightly offended that the man didn't look at him once.

_He's being real rude. _Naruto thought. _Why does he keep staring at Hinata? _

"Um, no thank you," Hinata said with a polite smile. She turned to look at the ninja seated across from her. "How about you Naruto-kun?"

"No thanks," he said stiffly. She noticed the tone in his voice but said nothing.

As soon as Otto left Hinata leaned across the table with a puzzled look on her face. "Is anything wrong?"

Naruto frowned. "That Otto guy rubs me the wrong way," Naruto said under his breathe.

"He seems sweet," Hinata said. Just then the wife Tsuma dropped something and Otto barked some rude words at her. "Oh, well, he seemed sweet to me," she said with a weak grin.

"He keeps _staring_ at you," Naruto said bluntly.

"The wife keeps staring at _you_," Hinata said quietly.

"I didn't notice."

"Neither did I."

They stared at each other, small smiles forming on their faces and soon broke out into laugher. Two steaming bowls of ramen were slipped in front of them. Otto looked at Hinata and said, "Enjoy." Naruto glared at his back as the young man retreated and Hinata snapped apart a pair of chopsticks.

"He seems too young to be running a ramen shop…" Naruto muttered.

"That's because it's family run," a strange voice said.

Naruto turned red as he came to face the brown haired cook. Naruto coughed. "Uh, I-I'm sorry."

The beautiful woman smiled at him broadly. "Nothing to be sorry about. I apologize, I shouldn't have been eavesdropping," she said as she wiped down the table next to them with a cloth. "Many customers question us though, because of our young age. I'm used to explaining." Naruto and Hinata waited for her to continue. She quickly excused herself as a man dressed in black walked through the doors. He sat down near the entrance and the lady moved on to take his order. As soon as she was done she came back to continue her story as if there were no interruption. "This shop was my fathers. Was. Now it's my…husbands. I inherited it after my father passed and didn't want to sell it because it's the only thing I have left from him. Otto didn't really want-"

"Tsuma, we have orders!" Otto called from the back.

"Oh. I'll be right there!" she looked flustered, as if confused as to where she was. "Oh, I'm so sorry for ranting to a sweet couple such as yourselves. I get so carried away sometimes!" she said with a light laugh before fleeing to the back once more.

Hinata waited until she was out of earshot before saying, "She seemed to really want to stay out of that kitchen. Away from her husband."

Naruto nodded. The ramen didn't seem to look as appealing anymore. "Everyone here is just so _suspicious_," he said. He started slurping up some ramen but was looking around the shop from the corner of his eye. Some curly haired lady and her kid sat near the opposite end of the shop eating what looked like something sweet. The mother looked nervous, most likely because of the killings going on, but the son seemed happy to be here. There was a bearded man sitting with a steaming mug in front of him, massaging his head as if he were nursing a hang over. Naruto saw a man with glasses sitting at the counter sipping some coffee and reading a book. He saw Otto walk out of the back and begin to rearrange things on the counter but noticed that the entire time Otto's eyes would be on Hinata or the mother. Naruto clenched his teeth, the noodles breaking apart and falling back sloppily into his bowl. Hinata looked at him, perplexed but he just shook his head. He continued observing and saw Otto walk to the man seated near the entrance to see how he was doing and then realized he was turning and heading towards them.

Naruto straightened his back, his fists clenching and unclenching. Hinata was daintily eating her ramen. While Naruto was surveying Otto, Hinata had kept a keen eye on his wife. From what she could see, her movements were sad and each time Otto neared her she flinched. Hinata frowned, staring down at her bowl of ramen. Such young love gone corrupt. That's when some of Naruto's broth splashed on the table. She looked at him in confusion but he just sighed, shaking his head. She was about to say something when she noticed Otto approach them. She smiled a fake smile, throwing on a polite façade.

"How's the meal going?" the young man asked supposedly both of them, but he was angled towards the Hyuga.

Naruto said nothing, just staring at the other man, who still didn't make eye contact with the blonde shinobi.

Hinata, noticing Naruto's stern look and silence decided it was time to go. "The meal was delicious thank you," she said, smiling. "We'd like the check now, please?"

The man gave a barely indiscernible frown. "Oh, okay. Right away."

As soon as he left Naruto snapped his head back towards Hinata. "I don't like him," he stated.

"I could tell," Hinata said with a wary smile. "I don't like the way he treats his wife…"

"That, and I don't like the way he looks at you!" Naruto whispered under his breath.

"I don't think you like the way anyone looks at me," Hinata said with a small blush.

"That's not true!" Naruto said, gesturing wildly. "I don't mind Ino looking at you or being in your mind and everything."

Hinata giggled. "That doesn't count."

Naruto pouted and that was when Otto returned, handing them their bill. Naruto took it and left a small tip, still upset at their entire experience at the small restaurant. Hinata thanked the owners for their meal and Naruto did too, though a bit grudgingly.

Naruto didn't want to linger in that shop longer than he had to and quickly whisked Hinata away, not noticing someone following them from the restaurant.

* * *

The couple took a long route back to their hotel. They had a lot of time to kill until nightfall and decided to take a walk around the village.

"I think we're lost Naruto-kun," Hinata said.

Naruto glanced around. "Ah…no I think I know where we are," he said, a bit nervously. Hinata laughed. "Damn," Naruto muttered under his breath. "Finding our way back to the hotel would be so much easier if we could just jump on the rooftops."

"Covert mission, remember?" Hinata said quietly.

"I know, I know."

They were walking around in what seemed like the slums of the village. The houses seemed run down, the windows were cracked and broken liquor bottles littered the grimy, snow-covered streets.

"Woah," Naruto said, stopping Hinata. "Look at that house." He was pointing at a small house whose door was open. There was a ring of keys amidst shards of glass littering the ground neat the entranceway. The draft from outside made the curtain on the window sway ominously. "What do you think happened there?"

Hinata shrugged, worried. "Maybe a robbery?"

"Can you check with your Byakugan?"

"We're supposed to be normal civilians," Hinata said hesitantly, glancing at what looked like a schizophrenic lady talking to herself. "And anyway I wouldn't be able to _exactly_ tell what happened using that," she went on, her tone sad.

Naruto bit his lip, staring into the dark entrance. "I really feel like we should look. What if it has to do with the killer?" he whispered the last part.

"I want to check too…" Hinata said. "But…the mission requires-"

"I know," Naruto said. He sighed. "But…I guess Sora did say he would keep us updated on any more casualties."

Hinata nodded as they continued walking, leaving the wrecked home behind them. "It was probably nothing anyway," Hinata said trying to reassure them both. "This part of town doesn't seem all that…safe."

Naruto slipped his left hand from hers and instead wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her to him. "What happened back there might be a regular thing," he said. "Maybe that's why there wasn't a crowd or anything."

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, thoughts drifting away from the sad scene fading away behind them. For some reason the way they were walking reminded her of her little encounter with that man named Uso and how he brushed his shoulders against hers. That had made her uncomfortable but this… Hinata was very aware of Naruto's grip on her waist and her cheeks were tinted slightly red because of it.

Naruto noticed. He grinned knowingly. "Hinata…you cold?"

She saw his sly look and looked at the ground, her hair hiding her face. "No," she said quietly.

He laughed and stopped walking, turning her to face him. "Your nose is a bit red, maybe I should warm it up a little." Before she knew what he was up to she felt his lips brush against her nose. It tickled her a little and she let out a light laugh. He felt more confident after this and crossed his arms around her head, placing his forehead against hers. "Hinata I think my lips are freezing. I might need your help."

Hinata blushed. His eyes were bright and his smile was broad. She tilted her head and gave him a quick peck on his lips.

"Aw Hinata," he said, still smiling. "I think they're gonna go numb."

Her laughter was cut off as his lips met hers.

* * *

_Darkness._

_Darkness and whispers. _

_A voice? No…two voices. _

_Slowly her eyes fluttered open but her view was blurry. She wanted to rub her eyes but she realized her hands were bound. _

_Her breathing increased. Her heart beat faster._

_Then she remembered. _

_ She was walking home from that restaurant with her son. Her son! Where is he?_

_ She struggled with the ropes that bound her and the whispering ceased. She froze. Footsteps came towards her. _

_ "Hey she's awake," a voice said. A female voice? She heard someone grunt in acknowledgement. "So are you going to do it now?"_

_ The bound, dark, curly haired woman swallowed. "Where is my son?" she croaked. _

_ "Home," a deep voice said. "Most likely. Don't despair. We didn't harm him. I'm not that cruel."_

_ The woman felt a sense of relief but then fear crept back into her as she realized what situation she was in. _

_ "How _old_ are you?" the female voice asked. "I mean you don't look that old. Hardly older than me. But you have a son?"_

_ The woman thought that maybe if she wasted time someone would come and help her. _Someone, _she thought. _Anyone. _She knew she had no one. Just her and her son. Her high school boyfriend abandoned her after she told him she was pregnant. Her parents kicked her out and she stayed at a local shelter. She was forced to get a job and leave school. She did what she could for her son. She felt tears fall from her eyes. She was alone. "I-I had him real young."_

_ "Well obviously," the other woman said. "Hm, you're really beautiful though."_

_ "Are…are you the rapist?"_

_ The female voice laughed. "Me?"_

_ "I-I d-don't know."_

_ "Maybe," the shadow of a girl laughed. "But I think I'm going to kill you," she stated emotionlessly. The bound woman's breath caught in her throat. "Well get to it," the voice said, getting further away. She felt the larger presence approach her. The man. "I thought you preferred virgins," the woman said in a singsong voice. _

_ "I do," he said. "But I make exceptions. You thought she was attractive. I'm doing this for you."_

_ "Sure..,"_

_ The curly haired woman felt hands against her legs and felt him yank her. She was pulled to the floor, her arms uncomfortably squeezed between her back and the ground. She yelped in pain but she felt him place something on her lips. She couldn't talk anymore! She struggled as tears streamed down her face. She felt him fumble with the buttons of her pants and she wished she could kick him but her legs were tied tight. He pulled down her pants and unbuttoned her shirt. She shivered when the frigid air hit her bare skin._

_ "Hey," the female voice came out of the darkness. "No need to be gentle with her. After all this isn't her first."_

_ The man grunted in response. "Who knew you were so cold," he said._

_ She laughed. "Like I said before, people change."_

_ The woman on the ground squirmed but to no avail. She made attempts to yell but the screams were silenced by the seal. She tried to remove her arms and legs from the ropes but only felt them cutting against her skin. _What can I do?_ She thought to herself. _

_She felt hands on her breasts and wanted to throw up. But fortunately they weren't there long. He just wanted relief. He rubbed between her legs and she felt her body unwillingly responding. She felt something hot at her opening and realized it was his tongue. She whimpered as he continued his ministrations. Finally he stopped. She heard something unzip and as soon as she realized what he was doing it was too late. _

_ Her mouth opened in a large O as she felt him enter her. _It hurt!_ He was rough as he continued pounding into her. She heard the other woman giggle and heard his moans of pleasure and she felt ashamed. Ashamed she got herself in this situation. Ashamed that she couldn't do anything to stop this. Ashamed that she was going to leave her son motherless. She wasn't stupid. She knew what was going to happen to her._

_ The man continued to rape her. She felt as though she was going to be torn apart from the inside. She couldn't scream even if she wanted to, which she did. She wanted to yell and yell and hope that someone would listen to her. No one listened to her while she was pregnant with her son. No one listened to her while she took care of him alone. No one was going to listen to her _now_. Her eyes were closed in pain and she continually felt her arms burn from the friction against the ground as he moved her up and down. His thrusts became faster and harder and the agony became too much to bear. She lay limp on the ground, exhausted. She heard him shout out a familiar name in bliss, but she didn't care at the moment. Tears slipped into her curly hair._

_ He pulled out of her, breathing heavily and she heard him retreat. Lighter footsteps approached her. _

_ "Wow," she heard that familiar female voice. "That was actually kind of _hot_." The woman on the ground was disgusted. "You're lucky though," the girl said, running her fingers across her tear stricken face. "Normally the woman he would take would be found all torn and bloody but I didn't want him to hurt you that much. So sweet of me, huh?" she felt lips on her own. _This twisted woman was kissing her!_ "Don't worry. I'll kill you first before he stabs you." _

_ She felt fingers on her neck. Tighter and tigher. She flailed and tried gasping for air but to no avail. _

_ Darkness._

* * *

Hinata shot up in bed screaming. She heard Naruto curse and stumble out of his bed and hurry towards her. Through her tears she saw his messy bed hair, his attentive eyes wary for any trouble and a kunai gripped in his right hand.

"Hinata!" he exclaimed as he stood near her, his eyes darting around the dark room. "What happened? What's wrong?" he saw no immediate trouble and sank into her bed, his heart aching at the sight of her tears. "Hinata, _what happened?_"

Hinata was shaking and she wrapped her arms around herself. She kicked the blankets away and stared down at her chest and legs. He watched her run her fingers down her clothed stomach to her thighs. He heard her let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Not me…" she muttered to herself.

Naruto felt antsy. Hinata was in _tears_ and he didn't know what was going on. "Hinata, talk to me." he said, wiping the drops of water adorning her face. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him, eyes wide in fear. "Naruto-kun," she said, her voice quiet and quivering. "He did it again." He looked at her confused. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "He-he…raped someone. She's dead."

* * *

Is this a cliffhanger? If so, I apologize. What happened at the end will get cleared up soon.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Contentment**

"She crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt at modesty. She felt Naruto's large hands gently grab her arms. She looked into his blue eyes and felt her muscles relax. She dropped her arms to the side, feeling exposed…"


	9. Chapter 8- Contentment

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 8- Contentment**

* * *

Naruto sat beside Hinata, running his hands through her hair gently as she slept. After she stated that some woman was dead she burst into tears and he rocked her to sleep, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Hinata was too distraught to be embarrassed. It was around three at night but he had no choice but to wake up Ino. They had actually just recently returned early from an eventless night of patrol. The tired woman had come over and observed the sleeping Hyuga for anything strange. There was nothing physically wrong with her, she had told Naruto, who was instantly relieved. She noticed that she had left the seal that linked their minds together on. After gently removing it from Hinata's palm, Ino left, telling Naruto that Hinata may have had a nightmare, though not believing it herself. She would come check on Hinata once she was rested and ready in the morning.

So now Naruto found himself sitting restlessly near his sleeping girlfriend. She fidgeted constantly in her sleep as if she couldn't get bad memories out of her head. He found out that she seemed to sleep more comfortably when he held her and so he eventually fell asleep, still confused, his arm around her waist, and his body pressed up against hers.

* * *

He felt something move and tightened his grip on it. It was soft and warm and he sighed, content.

"Naruto-kun?" he heard a weak whisper. He groaned and buried his face in the warmth. He felt exhausted and didn't want to get up. He wrapped his leg around that soft thing. He heard a small squeak but felt himself drifting off to sleep again. "Naruto-kun…?"

He felt movement again and sighed. Slowly he opened his eyes and felt something tickling his face. _Hair? _He thought. _Since when did I have black hair? _Then memories of what happened a few hours ago came to mind. His eyes widened as he realized what-_who-_he was holding on to. He blushed and untangled himself from her. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry, Hinata!" he exclaimed as she sat up, cheeks pink. "I didn't realize-I forgot-"

"It's okay," she said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you for being here with me," she said, a lot of emotion in her words.

His previous embarrassment vanished and he smiled, pulling her into a hug. "Of course." He kissed her forehead and leaned back. "So what happened exactly? Are you feeling okay?"

She nodded. "Naruto-kun…I…I _saw_ his next victim."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "You _saw_…her?"

"I know it sounds crazy but actually I…I _was _her."

Naruto sat up. "_What?"_

"I felt what she felt and heard what she heard," she said, her hands shaking. "It wasn't me who g-got r-raped," she said, picking at the sheets. "But I-I _felt _what she felt through out the whole thing. I know it happened. _I know it_. It sounds ridiculous but-but-but-"

"I believe you Hinata," he said, holding her trembling hands. "I just don't understand." _She experienced all that? Even if only in a dream,_ Naruto thought. _Hinata…_

"I don't either," she said, looking completely overwhelmed. "Can you call Ino?" she asked weakly. "Maybe she can tell us more about this."

Naruto nodded and slipped out of bed. He pulled on his orange coat and strapped on his shoes and shut the hotel door gently behind him. He knocked on Ino's door and didn't have to wait long. Ino opened the door fully dressed, her face void of emotion.

"How is she?" she asked.

Naruto sighed. "Not sure. I need your help. _She _needs your help." He quickly and quietly explained what Hinata had told him to her.

Ino nodded, locking the door behind her. "Let's go, Uzumaki."

When they entered Naruto and Hinata's room they saw the Hyuga fully dressed and strapping on her pouch to her right thigh.

"Hinata, what're you doing?" Naruto asked cautiously.

"We have to find him," she said. "We have to find her body."

"Hinata, you need to calm down," Ino said slowly. "You're traumatized. What we need to do is figure out why you saw what you saw and if it was more than a nightmare."

"It _wasn't_ a nightmare!" Hinata said. "It wasn't…." she sat down, her arms wrapped around her stomach. "I could feel her pain. I felt him…felt him enter her. Enter _me_."

Ino sat next to her on the bed, rubbing her back and Naruto clenched his jaw, curling his fingers into a fist at the thought of what Hinata experienced, even if it may have only been in her mind. Hinata went through exactly what she saw as steadily as she could and just as she finished there was a knock on the door. The three undercover ninjas looked at one another in confusion.

"Are we expecting someone?" Naruto asked warily as he approached the door.

"Byakugan," Hinata whispered. Veins around her eyes became more prominent as she observed who was lingering outside our door. She shut her eyes and her muscles relaxed.

Naruto noticed the change and opened the door. A young man, dressed in casual black clothing was at the door. He had glasses and messy black hair. "Message from Lord Sora. New victims have been found," he handed Naruto a folder, glancing at the two women in the room and left immediately.

"That messenger seemed like he was in a rush," Naruto said, locking the door.

"He most likely doesn't want to be associated with this case," Ino stated, taking the folder from him. She opened it up in her lap as the other two crowded around her. The first showed a picture of a curly, black haired woman and a few pages describing the scene, where she was last seen, etc.

"That's her," Hinata said. "That's the woman."

"Approximate time of rape," Ino said, pointing at numbers on the paper. "3:30 AM."

"That's around the time we woke up," Naruto said, eyes widening.

"It really did happen then," Hinata said sadly. Her eyes hardened. "We have to try and find this man…quick."

"And that girl too," Naruto added.

"Oh my god," Ino gasped. She held up a picture showing the corpses of a man and woman. "Is that-?"

"Uso," Naruto hissed.

"But-but- he's a _he,_" Hinata stuttered. "I thought the White Kunai Killer only targeted women?"

Naruto frowned. "Guess it's not that simple anymore."

"Maybe it's because of the addition of that other woman," Ino said, referencing to Hinata's nightmare. She continued to flick through the other pages in the file. "Who could she be anyway?"

"Who knows," Naruto said, frustrated. "We still have to figure out who the actual killer is. But right now we need to figure out why Hinata saw what she did!"

"I think I know," Ino piped. "I mentioned before we set out for out mission that those seals linking our minds together might have side affects," she turned and faced the Hyuga. "The seal may have made you mind more perceptible to these…let's call them…intrusions. This kind of reminds me of when you and Uso were talking and you parroted what I said. The seal is basically opening your mind to other things."

"But why would I see the rape? Why that?" Hinata asked, confused.

"And why only her?" Naruto questioned.

"I'm not sure exactly," Ino said apologetically. "But I have a bad feeling we'll figure it out soon and not exactly like it."

They sat in silence, each contemplating what they learned. The White Kunai Killer now had an accomplice. Now it wasn't just women who should be wary. The killer was unpredictable. They only had Hinata walk the city a few times so far and things already started to go bad. What else is this mysterious rapist and his partner going to do?

"Why Uso?" Hinata asked, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, his protective instinct kicking in again.

"I mean, according to the file, Uso died the same day we spoke. Just a few hours later," Hinata went on. "The Killer was out there and for some reason he chose Uso? He chose that woman in the house?"

Ino nodded, frowning. "I see what you mean. Up 'til now all the victims have been far from home or from help. It never really seemed as though he was specifically _seeking _people out. It all seemed…well…random."

"So he picked that Uso guy why?" Naruto asked, slightly frustrated. He'd rather this mission require them to fight an army right now than deal with this twisted person. He didn't like Uso but he wasn't exactly sure if he believed he deserved what he got. Death? No. He especially felt bad for that woman. _Was she caught in between? Or was Uso caught in-between? Who was the real target here_? Naruto voiced those concerns and the kunoichi's shook their heads, just as confused as he was.

"So you think Uso's death had anything to do with me?" Hinata asked, looking at the ground.

"Oh no, Hinata," Ino said comfortingly. "No. No, most likely not."

"I'm not trying to be conceited or anything-" Hinata started.

"You could never be," Naruto stated.

Hinata gave him a small smile. "But-but I have this odd feeling we might be connected with this. I don't know!" she seemed overwhelmed. "Why would I see him? Why would I be in the mind of that woman? Why would he kill some man that _I_ just happened to talk to?"

"Maybe it's a coincidence?" Naruto said weakly. They all knew none of this could be coincidental.

"We'll figure it out," Ino said, gathering up the papers.

Naruto snatched one of the photographs before Ino could slip it back into the folder. "Hang on…" he said slowly. "This curly haired one…she looks really familiar." He showed it to Hinata but the Hyuga just winced and looked away. Naruto muttered an apology and went back to scrutinizing the picture. _Where? Where did I see her before? _"Ino, what else did it say about this killing?"

Ino riffled through the pages again and began listing out some facts. "Eighteen. Found in the downtown area in an abandoned warehouse. Her son reported a man dressed in white taking her and ordering him to run. She lived in the local shelter."

"Wait. That son," Naruto said, racking his brain. "How old was he?"

"Um," Ino said, scanning the paper. "About four."

"Did they happen to eat at a restaurant that day?" Naruto said slowly and Hinata's eyes widened as she realized what restaurant he was talking about.

"Yea," Ino said, eyebrows raised. "Why?"

"I saw them," Naruto said, looking angry. "I took Hinata to some restaurant owned by a couple-"

"Otto and Tsuma," Hinata piped in.

Naruto nodded. "I saw her with her son. She _did_ seem worried."

"For good reason apparently…" Ino muttered.

"DAMN IT!" Naruto exclaimed loudly. "DAMN! We might have been able to stop this!" he continued to yell, frustrated and angry.

"This Otto and Tsuma," Ino said as she slipped the papers into the file. "Suspects?"

"Maybe," Naruto said harshly. "Most likely. That guy gave me a bad feeling."

"Bad feeling? How? Why?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know," Naruto said exasperated. "He was _weird_. He kept staring at Hinata. He was rude to his wife. I don't know!"

"You sure this just isn't just jealousy again Naruto?" Ino asked with a small smile.

"Yes!" Naruto hissed, his cheeks red.

Ino headed towards the door. "Well I guess we should keep an eye on them. But right now we shouldn't make a move until we're absolutely sure. If we're wrong we can't let that slip up give us away. I'm going to send Lady Tsunade a report on what we have so far. I'll see you guys tonight before we send Hinata out again. If you're up for it."

Hinata nodded stiffly. "I'll do it. I want to find the murderer," she said, determined.

"'Kay," Ino said. "You guys rest up. Do some recon if you want. Not exactly necessary right now but remember. This is a covert operation. Don't go hanging around that restaurant too much. It might be suspicious. I'll go."

"Yea, yea," Naruto said, waving her off with a grin. "Sure thing Miss Leader. Be careful though."

Ino rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her.

Naruto locked the door and turned to find Hinata looking out the window. He approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist, giving her light kisses on her neck. "You alright?" he asked.

"Mmhm," she said, smiling. The contact with him made her want to blush but she tried her best not to. She closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the side giving the jinchuriki more access to her skin. Naruto grinned and turned her around, pressing her against the cold glass of the window. "Naruto-kun!" she chirped, giggling slightly. "People might see from outside!"

He kissed her lips softly, his fingers playing with the bottom of her coat. "Nah," he said, his breath tickling her skin. "We're just kissing and we're kinda high up. Who'd bother to look?"

Hinata's smile slowly vanished. "That curly haired woman was killed in one of the top floors of a warehouse."

Naruto peeled himself from her, his hands still gripping her waist. "Hinata…" he said slowly.

"Sorry! I'm sorry," she said frantically. "I just-"

"No, Hinata," Naruto said with a shaky sigh. "_I'm_ sorry. I'm no good at this. Still new at this whole boyfriend, girlfriend thing, ya know?" he gave her a weak grin. "I should be a bit more considerate." He pulled her away from the window and seated her down on the bed. He crouched down in front of her, frowning slightly. "How are you? Really?"

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile.

"Hinata," Naruto said seriously. "What you dreamed about-what you went through-you actually _felt_ all that?" She nodded. "Well how can you be _fine_ after all that?" he exclaimed, unclear at how he should be handling this.

"Because no matter how real it was," she said with a deep breath, "And it _was_ real. I _was_ that woman. I don't know how or why. That seal Ino mentioned maybe- but it _did _happen. "

Naruto opened his mouth but shut it slowly. He really didn't know what to say. "He…you…was that your…was that the first time," he coughed, turning red. "Was that the first time someone…penetrated you?" He winced at how bad that sounded.

Hinata blushed. She nodded and she couldn't tell from his face as to what he was feeling. He was wearing an emotionless mask. "It didn't physically happen to me but…mentally it did…I felt it. Felt all of it," she sighed. "I sound insane."

Naruto shook his head. "No. It just makes me upset that _that_ had to be the first thing you experienced." His eyebrows were furrowed and he turned away from her.

"Naruto-kun," she said his name softly. He turned and looked at her. She was smiling. "I'm still _me._ I felt all that yes. It made me very, _very_ uncomfortable, sure. But…it really wasn't my first," she was blushing. "It doesn't have to be."

Naruto cocked his head to the side and slowly a grin formed on his face. He asked the next question on impulse, "If the time came, Hinata, would you…ya know…with me?" Red instantly flooded to her face. Naruto's eyes widened as it registered in his mind what he just insinuated. He jumped up and waved his arms, shaking his head. "Oh my god, Hinata. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ask that! I don't know why I did. Oh man, oh man. Damn. Why'd I have to have so many perverts for sensei's," he moaned, his hand covering his face. _Oh my god, I can't believe I asked her that. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm becoming exactly like Jiraya. And Kakashi! And not the good stuff either. _He groaned again as Kurama laughed in his mind.

Then he heard a giggle.

His eyes shot open and he saw Hinata laughing. Her face was slightly pink but she seemed…not freaked out. Naruto relaxed a little, though still nervous. "I'm a jerk…" he muttered. "Hinata I didn't mean to pressure you. Especially after what you just went through. Oh my god," he ranted.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, grabbing his hand. He immediately shut up and slowly fell to his knees, landing in front of her.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," she said sweetly.

"But-"

"I'd be h-h-happy to," she said quickly, before her courage faded.

Naruto looked at her confused. "You'd be happy to what?" Hinata lit up once more and mumbled something. "Sorry, what?" he asked, leaning towards her. Hinata could feel her heart beating fast and she shook her head. She couldn't believe they were actually talking about this! _Again! _They spoke about it the last time they…kissed…in this room. Was this normal? "Hinata," Naruto pouted. "You know I can be a bit dense-" then it hit him. She answered his question. _If the time came, Hinata, would you…ya know…with me?_ Naruto blushed and beamed.

Hinata smiled at him, her cheeks still heated. "Naruto-kun…I believe you should never leave something for tomorrow if you can do it today and as ninjas I think that applies to us even more. We don't know what day will be our last."

"Hinata-"

"Live our lives to the fullest," she continued while she still had the courage. She avoided his gaze. "My answer to your question…is yes."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth. "You mean-" She nodded, blushing. Naruto gulped and she glanced at him. He looked nervous. He stood up, unsteadily. "Oh…" he said. "Right now? I mean-I don't think...Hinata," he was speaking really quickly. "I'm really happy with your answer. Really, I am. _Really._ But I don't think…I'm not- I don't know. I'm nervous. Oh my god, I'm such a-"

Hinata giggled again. "Naruto-kun," she said, still red. "I don't mean _now _exactly." Naruto looked a bit relieved and disappointed and for some reason this made Hinata pleased. "I'm happy…" she continued. "I'm happy you're happy."

Naruto grinned and leaned down to give her a deep kiss. "You're fantastic, you know that?"

"I don't," she said softly. "But I appreciate the input."

He placed each knee on the bed, straddling her. "It's true," he said, attacking her neck with kisses again. "I don't know if I said it already, and if I didn't, shame on me, and if I did, good, but I don't think there should be a limit on how many times you hear this. I'm so happy you chose me. I wish I would have noticed and done something sooner but I'll make up for it. I will. You're amazing Hinata. I…I…" _I love you,_ he said in his head. He wanted to say it out loud, he did. But he was nervous. Years on his own and years of people simply loathing him…haunted him, even now. Even after people praised him and after he had made many friends he considered precious.

"It's okay Naruto-kun," she said with a small, understanding smile. She stretched up and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you."

He gave her a sad smile and deepened the kiss, his hands gripping her sides. "You really should stop thanking me. I should be thanking you."

She shook her head. "I have a lot to thank you for."

He chuckled. "I can't stop you, huh?" She shook her head, smiling and biting her lower lip. "You're beautiful," he stated as easily as saying the sky was blue or the grass was green.

She blushed. "Thank yo-"

He cut her off with another kiss. "I can't get you to stop saying thanks," he said softly, their breaths mingling. "But I can do certain things to stop you." She smiled and he leaned down once again to capture her lips with his. She sighed happily as he moved his lips to her neck again, slowly unzipping her coat. His mind wandered to what she had explained she dreamed about last night. He didn't want someone to touch her as he was right now. He gently removed her coat, his eyes meeting hers. She was nervously fiddling with the zipper of his jacket and he smiled. "You can, you know," he said, nodding at her fingers.

She bit her lip and slowly pulled down the zipper with a trembling hand. He helped her with the rest. He tossed his orange jacket to the side and she shyly glanced at his chest covered in fishnet material. He took a deep breath and grabbed the hem of his shirt, quickly pulling it up over his head and tossing it to the side. He suddenly felt self-conscious. He took his shirt off in front of other people like when he had to be healed or when he went to the hot springs but this was different. He was opening himself up. He felt vulnerable in a different sense. He wasn't looking at Hinata but he was sure she was looking at his scars from different fights and battles or maybe even the seal on his stomach if it was visible.

He felt gentle fingers brush against his bare skin and he looked down and saw Hinata looking at him. _Lovingly? _The look she gave him helped him relax. She had felt his uncertainty and wanted him to know he had nothing to feel insecure about. It was her turn to make _him_ feel good about himself. She trailed her hands from his stomach, feeling his muscles tense as she did so, to his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled herself up and kissed him as passionately as she could. She tried to put the words she couldn't bring herself to say into that kiss.

He responded eagerly, his arms wrapping tightly around her. She felt his tongue against her lips and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She opened her mouth, allowing him entrance as he explored her. She felt his arms move lower down her body and sensed his fingers at the hem of her fishnet shirt. Skin came in contact with skin as he slipped his fingers under her shirt, massaging her skin. She gasped and pulled back.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he stuttered, pulling his hands back. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, rubbing his hair awkwardly.

"N-No," Hinata said, "I thought I sensed someone outside our door." Naruto was suddenly very aware of their surroundings. He slipped off of the bed and cautiously approached the door. He heard Hinata activate her Byakugan and glanced at her. She looked noticeably more relaxed. She deactivated her kekkai genkai and indicated that Naruto return.

"Who was it?" Naruto questioned, crawling back onto the bed.

"It was just Ino-san," Hinata said, looking relieved.

Naruto looked uneasy. "Did she hear us? _Again_?" he was thinking about the last time he had an intimate moment with Hinata in this room. He made sure he checked that neither Hinata nor himself wore the mind linking seal this time.

Hinata giggled. "No, she just left her room. Most likely to send the Hokage a message or something."

"Well that's good then," Naruto said pulling her to him once again. "Don't have to worry about her intruding again."

"Aw, Naruto-kun, don't be rude," Hinata said with a pout.

"Sorry," Naruto said, his voice deep. He nipped at her neck and pulled her onto his lap, causing her to squeak. This was new. "I don't feel like sharing you." He moved some of her hair to the side and grinned. There was a small, reddish mark on her neck. "Where'd you get that?" he asked slyly.

Hinata blushed. "Naruto-kun, you're teasing," she said.

The ninja laughed. "Gave it to you last time, didn't I?" Hinata nodded, still blushing. "Well that can't do," Naruto said, slipping his hands under her shirt again. "That mark is hardly noticeable. How else am I going to claim you and keep other guys at bay?"

Hinata pretended to think. "Well you have a little predicament, huh?" she asked cunningly.

"Mmhm," Naruto mumbled against her neck. His hands continued to climb higher, her shirt lifting up as he went. She, oddly, wasn't feeling as self-conscious as she thought she would. Until she felt him fumbling with her bra strap. She froze. He felt her stiffen and looked up at her. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked. He had touched her breasts before, but that was only through the fabric.

"N-No," Hinata stuttered.

"Hinata?"

"No," Hinata said, more firmly. "I trust you."

He kissed her softly on the lips and continued struggling with the back of her bra. She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as he let out a quiet string of curses. "Damn," he said. "Even after Jiraya explained this stuff to me."

"Do you want me to help?" Hinata asked shyly.  
"I'll get this!" Naruto said, determined.

"Practice makes perfect," Hinata said, not making eye contact with him. She knew her cheeks were most likely red. She was fighting an urge to faint.

"Hinata!" Naruto said, pleasantly surprised.

Hinata suddenly felt her bra strap loosen as Naruto got the clip undone. "I-I'm going to have to take my shirt off if you want to p-properly remove the b-b-bra," Hinata said slowly. She didn't wait for his response and did as he did a couple minutes back. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, setting it aside. She crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt at modesty. She felt Naruto's large hands gently grab her arms. She looked into his blue eyes and felt her muscles relax. She dropped her arms to her sides, feeling exposed even though her bra still covered her chest, loosely, but covered nonetheless.

She saw that Naruto's eyes were dark and glazed over. He stared at her and pulled her into a deep kiss, gently slipping the straps of her modest, white, bra off her shoulders. It was after he completely removed the fabric that he pulled his lips away from hers. Both their breathing was shallow and quick and Naruto couldn't help but be mesmerized by her chest moving up and down.

Hinata felt his hardness as she sat on his lap and felt relieved. It made her feel better that she was eliciting such a response from him.

"C-Can I?" Naruto asked, a bit nervous.

Hinata nodded and Naruto leaned up and kissed her, his hands at her side, slowly moving up. He gently lay her down on he back, his lips on hers the entire time, and gently cupped her breasts in his hands. She was always self conscious about her chest even when she went to the hot springs with the other girls but she felt surprisingly relaxed being exposed like this in front of Naruto. He continued to kiss her as he fondled her gently, not exactly sure what he was doing. He let instinct kick in and did what he thought would please her. She was trying to stifle her moans but each time he heard her mewl as she lay underneath him he felt a pleasing tingle run through his body. Slowly Naruto trailed his kisses from her lips to her neck and lower. Hinata gasped and arched her back as she felt his lips on the tips of her breasts.

Naruto instinctively moved his hips against hers and a small growl escaped his lips as the contact sent jolts of gratification through his body. Hinata responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting her body up from the bed, pressing herself against him. He gripped her tightly and nipped at her skin.

His kisses became rough and he heard her hiss in pain. His eyes shot open and he noticed scratches where his hands were. His nails were elongated into claws and his eyes widened. Hinata looked up at him and gasped.

"Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, sounding worried. "Are you okay? You're eyes-"

Naruto jumped back, away from Hinata, and sat at the edge of the bed taking deep breaths, closing and opening his hands. He felt Hinata shift on the bed and felt her against his back. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice gruff.

"You're eyes were red," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, looking at her sadly. His eyes trailed down to the thin red lines at her side. He gently ran his now normal fingers against the blemishes and frowned.

Hinata covered his hands with her own. "It's alright."

"I didn't think…I didn't know this would happen," Naruto said, ashamed. "I'm not used to this," he said with an unsteady chuckle.

"It's okay," Hinata said gently. "Really."

"Maybe we should stop," Naruto said, disappointed and sounding edgy.

"That's fine," Hinata said, kissing his shoulder softly.

Naruto turned his head and kissed her tenderly. "I'm sorry Hinata, really, I am."

"Don't be, Naruto-kun," the kunoichi insisted. "I'm content."

Naruto sighed and got up, heading towards the bathroom. "I'll be right back Hinata."

Hinata nodded in understanding as she started to put on her clothes again. _Dêjà vu_, she thought.

* * *

"How'd you like last night?" he asked her.

"Mm, that curly haired woman?" she replied, sighing. "She was a beauty."

The man looked at her strangely. Both of them were…odd…he'd say. He knew that much but he didn't think too much about it. "It's weird, isn't it?" the man spoke again. "Things were so strange between the two of us for such a long time now. Who knew that killing someone together would help us become a bit closer again."

The woman was silent for a little while. "I'm not sure I'd call this close."

The man frowned. "I can't do anything right can I?"

The woman looked at him sympathetically. "It's not your fault who you love," she said knowingly. "As it isn't my fault."

"I don't need your pity."

"I'm not giving you pity," she said, heading towards the door to leave his room. "I'm just saying, as cliché as it is, that…well, life isn't fair."

"No it isn't," the man said, rearranging his weapons. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Talk about what?" the woman pushed.

"Love."

"Fine," she sniffed, a bit miffed. She looked at him sadly. "We don't have that much time I think."

"We can make time," he said, looking at her seriously. "Things can change."

"I don't want to disappoint anyone," she said.

The man chortled. "Oh, but helping me rape and kill someone isn't disappointing?"

"No one has to know about that," she snapped.

"Of course," he said. "But really. How did you like last night?"

She turned to leave once again, calling out behind her. "I guess I'm content for now."

The man smirked as the door shut. "For now," he murmured.

* * *

I hope I don't upset anyone because of this chapter.

Also I'm disappointed with the lack of feedback I've been receiving. I try to keep a fast pace when updating and hope my story satisfies my readers but I'm not so sure as of now.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Wolf**

"So what's your name sweetheart?" Hinata stayed silent, struggling against the curly haired man holding her, carefully assessing different plans in her head. "You're a quiet one huh?" he said, running his finger down her cheek. Hinata stiffened. "That's alright. You know what they say. The quiet ones are always the loudest."


	10. Chapter 9- Wolf

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 9- Wolf**

* * *

Naruto burst through the hotel room door, holding an injured Hinata in his arms.

"Ino's on her way!" he exclaimed, gently laying her down on the bed. "Don't worry, she'll be here soon!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said calmly, "I'm fine, really."

"You're _not_ fine!" he said, pacing the room frantically. "That son of a bitch! He tried to kill you!"

"But I'm okay," she said softly, as he continued to mutter to himself. He gave out an aggravated yell and she shifted in bed to get out and comfort him.

Naruto swiftly turned and faced her, one finger pointed accusingly. "No," he commanded. "Don't move. It's bad enough I had to jostle your broken leg around on our way back here but I don't want anything else to happen."

"It's just my ankle," she insisted. "I've had worse injuries."

Naruto frowned. "I know," he said with an angry sigh, remembering when Pain stabbed her. "It's not even the injury that pisses me off so much but the fact that they-"

There was rapid knocking on the door and Naruto quickly went to open it. Ino rushed in holding onto her med pack. She ignored the shinobi who granted her access to the room and headed to the one on the bed, sliding to her knees.

"Hinata, where are you hurt?" she asked, fumbling with the items in her pack. "This is all my fault. I should have told you to just turn around."

"It's not. Don't worry. It's just my ankle," Hinata said, pointing at her foot, which was bent at an abnormal angle. "It's not that bad. Really." Hinata truly believed that. She certainly did have worse injuries before. Right now she had a few bruises here and there but other than her ankle she wasn't in that bad of a shape.

Ino looked relieved. She gently rolled the bottom of Hinata's pants up. "I thought that…since I lost connection with you…"

"I'm alright," she said, smiling at the two concerned ninjas, "Don't worry. I think I'll be needing a new seal though."

"Don't worry about that right now. Tell me what happened," Ino said, as she placed her glowing palms above Hinata's swollen ankle. The blood woman glanced at Naruto and quickly mentally noted his bruises and cuts, along with the black haired womans. From what she could tell Naruto had no injuries but Hinata was not so lucky.

"You were there in my head for some of it," Hinata started, a bit confused as in to what Ino wanted to hear. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy from before.

"It doesn't matter," Ino said, pulling out some gauze and bandages. "Remind me. Keep talking okay? Don't pass out. I need to make sure the drug is leaving your system. Also it'll help me remember when I have to keep Lady Tsunade updated."

Naruto stood at the window, arms crossed; glaring into the darkness and Hinata glanced at him before going through what happened earlier.

* * *

_ Few Hours Before_

Hinata was back on patrol once more.

A few days had passed since Hinata suffered through that nightmare with the curly haired woman, and the White Kunai Killer and his partner, and her patrols on those days had gone by without much incidence, thankfully and regretfully. Regretfully because now she was back out in the cold searching for a killer or perhaps two. Thankfully because after feeling what that woman felt during her rape, Hinata was in no rush but to come face to face with the rapist.

Hinata was, unsurprisingly, traumatized by that event and each time she fell asleep she relived the moment over and over. She woke up with a yell, clutching at her hips, legs tangled in her blankets. Naruto would wake up with a curse, tumble out of bed and pull out a hidden kunai defensively before realizing Hinata was suffering through another nightmare. He would worry they were things happening at that moment like her first nightmare was but she would reassure him when explaining that it was the same thing each time. They came to realize that the bad dreams occurred significantly less when she felt Naruto next to her. So Naruto gladly found himself sleeping in the same bed as Hinata. They would return late into the night from patrol and have whispered conversations about nothing with one another. They would kiss and eventually fall asleep with Hinata in Naruto's arms. They'd wake up sometime in the afternoon with his legs tangled with hers and her body pressed tightly and protectively against his.

Hinata blushed as she thought about those nights, few as they were. She strolled along the empty streets dressed in the same outfit she wore the first day. Fortunately it wasn't snowing and the winds were calm but there was still a chill in the air. She shivered slightly and pressed her arms closer to herself.

She sighed. She could feel Naruto and Ino present in her mind but all was quiet. No one said a word in her head and she couldn't sense anyone out on the streets. The silence on the streets was normal though. The last few days she hardly ever saw a soul. Occasionally she would see a few drunk people stumbling home, some people walking quickly and looking scared, or see some strays eyeing her from the dark alleys.

_**Maybe today will be the day,**_ she said hopefully but unbelievingly to her two friends.

Ino had went to that skeptical restaurant to keep an eye on the couple that owned it and the ninja insisted that Hinata lay low and not attempt at any recon because she had a haunting feeling that the killer may already be suspicious of her. When Hinata asked her why she thought that the blonde woman mentioned that it was odd that Hinata's mind had connected so easily to that curly haired womans situation and that maybe some contact was made between them. Naruto mentioned that the woman was at the restaurant when they were and that the owners, Otto and Tsuma, interacted with them too. That made Ino even more sure. She insisted that Hinata _not_ go out to gather intel considering the fact that she was a prime target for the killer with her long, dark, hair. Ino didn't want Hinata to get into a situation they weren't prepared for. So for now Hinata stuck to the patrols, Ino with small investigations, and Naruto on his guard duty, though sometimes he would go out to gather information too.

_**Hopefully, **_Ino responded in her head.

Naruto grumbled. He wanted all this to be over too and he knew that the only way that would happen would be the killer coming to Hinata because, as Tsunade explained in the beginning, looking for him did _not_ work but he still didn't want the rapist to come anywhere near Hinata. _**Hinata where are you heading now? **_He asked his girlfriend.

_**Downtown, **_she said. _**At least I think so. Looks like it. **_She glanced around at the shabby homes and dirty roads. The previously pristine and white snow was stained yellow in some parts, brown and gray in others and some even had drops of red that she hoped wasn't blood. Her nose twitched as she felt water on it and she glanced up at the sky. She blinked as she felt snowflakes melt on her face. _**It's snowing,**_ she said.

_**Yea, **_Naruto said softly. He was standing on a tree in the forest on the outskirts of town, back straight, eyes hard. He couldn't see much detail, just the twinkling lights from windows and shadows moving. He stared at the sky. Clouds were gathering and it looked like a storm was brewing. _**Might have some bad weather tonight Hinata, **_he said apologetically.

_**Oh, that's alright, **_Hinata said, trudging through the snow. _**You should head inside though Naruto-kun. Ino-san you're inside right? **_

_** Yup, **_the other kunoichi piped. _**I'm in some other hotel located some way away from the one we're really staying at. Some people mentioned that a few of the White Kunai victims were staying here before it happened. **_

_** Oh? **_Hinata asked, surprised.

_**You didn't mention this before. **_Naruto stated.

_** I just learned pretty recently actually, **_Ino continued. _**Still have to snoop some more. **_

_** What do you have so far? **_Hinata asked, trying to keep her mind occupied and distracted from her current situation.

_**There's this greasy haired man at the front desk, **_Ino said, projecting them an image of a handsome man with long, dark, hair. _**He has a way with talking. **_

_** What's that supposed to mean? **_Naruto questioned.

_**Well I guess you could say he's really smooth. **_Ino giggled. Hinata smiled to herself and Naruto rolled his eyes. _**But he does have this…I don't know. He just makes me feel uncomfortable. **_

Naruto and Hinata considered this. _**Seems promising? **_Naruto wondered to them.

_** Any doubtful women there? **_Hinata asked, thinking about that female voice in her nightmare, the one that kissed the curly haired woman.

_**Some of the maids are **_**very**_** rude, **_Ino sniffed. Hinata giggled. Ino would be Ino. _**No, but seriously, there is this one. She helps out at the desk too. At least I think so. **_

_** Look in on that, **_Naruto stated.

_**Obviously, Uzumaki.**_

Hinata tuned out as the two ninjas began bickering in her mind. She considered taking the seal off her palm but decided that would be a bad move. The argument was short-lived, thankfully, but then she was enveloped in silence once again. The snow had picked up and she buried her head into her scarf, trying to keep out the cold. _**This wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't freezing,**_ Hinata said softly in their minds.

_**It's okay, **_Ino said, sounding cheerful. _**Naruto can warm you up later.**_

Hinata blushed and stared at the ground as she walked.

_**Yea…well, Ino, there's no one here to warm **_**you **_**up! **_Hinata heard Naruto exclaim playfully.

_**Naruto-kun! **_Hinata chastised.

_**I appreciate your concern Uzumaki, **_Ino said, _**But don't worry about someone keeping me warm. **_

_** I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, **_Naruto mumbled. _**But I don't really wanna know. **_

Hinata smiled to herself. Her friends helped make it feel like the sun was out even while the clouds reigned the sky. Hinata let out a slow breath, mist forming, and realized the snow was picking up. _How long was I out here? _She thought to herself. She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when she heard talking and laughter coming from far away. _**I hear something. **_

_** What? **_Naruto asked immediately.

_**People. Too far away to tell what they're saying, **_Hinata informed.

_** What's a group of people doing out this late at night? **_Ino asked curiously.

_**Same thing we're doing? **_Naruto joked weakly.

Hinata heard the crashing sound of a bottle as the sounds got louder and louder. _**Group of drunk people I think…**_Hinata added.

Hinata heard Naruto and Ino groan in frustration.

_**Well nothing good's going to come of this, **_Ino said. _**I really doubt the killer is in this group. But who knows really. **_

_** What should I do? **_Hinata asked, stopping in her tracks.

_**Doesn't really matter, **_Ino mumbled. _**You can go around them if you want or turn back.**_

_** I feel like our best chance of actually catching the killer will be in this part of town, **_Hinata said a bit nervously.

_**That's true, **_Ino said. _**I guess you can just press on through. **_

_** I don't like this, **_Naruto said gruffly.

_**You never like it, **_Ino grouched.

_**Yea, well, for good reason! **_Naruto huffed.

Hinata walked on, staying to the shadows. She was hoping the drunken group of people wouldn't notice her but she realized that would be counterproductive as to what she was trying to accomplish. She also doubted that the killer would be here but the point of her patrols was to be visible and noticed. She sighed and moved out of the shadows as she saw people at the other end of the street. _**I think it's a group of about six or seven men, **_Hinata informed.

_**Can I move closer? **_Naruto asked.

Ino was silent for a little while. _**Fine.**_

_** Yes! **_

_** But only a little! **_Ino exclaimed. _**Really, Naruto, if worse comes to worst Hinata **_**can**_** handle a few drunken civilians. **_

_** Yea, yea. **_Naruto said, already jumping from tree to tree. _**I **_**know**_** Hinata can handle herself. **_

_** I'm sure you do, **_Ino said slyly.

_**Ino…**_Naruto said in a warning tone.

Ino giggled and Hinata smiled at their conversation. _**Aw, you know you love me, Naruto, **_Ino said with a light laugh.

For some reason that made Hinata frown. She knew Naruto didn't have feelings for the other ninja like that but still. _Am I jealous? _She thought to herself. But the feeling passed. She cared deeply for them both and knew Ino simply loved to tease them.

_**'Kay, I'm closer to town now, **_Naruto informed.

_**Not too close to the downtown area right? **_Ino questioned. _**Not enough to jeopardize the mission?**_

_** No, Ino. **_Naruto said with a sigh.

_**Just making sure! **_Ino defended.

_**Seven. **_Hinata inserted. The other two went quiet. _**There are seven men, **_she clarified._** All seem drunk, **_she made sure to constantly send them mental images of what she was seeing and hearing. They were laughing loudly and obnoxiously, pushing and shoving each other, and taking swigs out of a few glass bottles they were carrying. _**I don't think they've noticed me yet.**_

_** Good. **_She heard Naruto say roughly.

_**You're protectiveness is too cute Naruto. **_Ino said with a light laugh. _**Hinata's strong.**_

_** You think I don't know that? **_He asked, his voice soft. His thoughts went back to the war and fight with Pain and even further then that: during the chunin exams.

_**Thank you, **_Hinata barely whispered. She continued walking slowly towards the approaching crowd. They were across the street from her and she noticed some of the men began glancing at her. They were elbowing each other and whispering things she couldn't discern. _**They've noticed me, **_Hinata informed.

_** Like I said, I doubt the killer's there, **_Ino supposed. _**Guess you should just keep walking unless they do something. But even then, try to ignore them. Our goal is to find the killer. **_

Hinata understood. The rowdy group suddenly turned quiet and Hinata felt colder. The snow was falling hard now and she had to blink rapidly to keep flakes from falling in her eyes. _My fingers are numb, _she thought to herself. _Not good. _If it came down to it, fighting without much feeling in her hands would not be good. _This reminds me of the time with Uso_, she thought with dread.

"Hey!" she heard one of the men yell out at her.

_**Keep walking, **_Naruto hissed.

Hinata did just that but they weren't going to let her go so easy. Some of the men started crossing the street to approach her and Hinata quickened her pace.

"Hey!" a man called out again. "Where you going?" she felt their presence grow more prominent and realized that they were following close behind her.

_**I don't think they're going to just leave…**_Hinata said, ignoring the mans question. She heard Naruto grumble something and Ino sigh. Then she felt someone grip her arm and whip her around.

"I asked you a question," the man jeered. He had dark eyes and dark hair and a scruffy looking beard, peppered with snow.

Hinata tugged at her arm but to no avail. "I'm sorry, I'm kind of in a rush," Hinata said in a strained voice.

"We can be quick," the man said, smirking. The other men laughed, surrounding them.

_**Hinata get away from him! **_Naruto exclaimed.

_**I can't, **_the kunoichi replied, twisting her arm in an attempt to escape. _**He has an oddly strong grip. And-and I can't give myself away as a ninja yet, right? **_

_** No, not yet…**_Ino said, not liking that particular fact.

"Okami," one of the men said in a deep voice, addressing the bearded man holding onto Hinata. "Maybe we should let her go." Hinata thought that voice sounded familiar but she couldn't quite put a finger on it and she was a bit too preoccupied to think into it. She tried to get a look at the man who spoke but his face was hidden in the shadows of his hood.

"Oh shut up you little virgin," the man, Okami, said that as if that were an insult. "You barely even drank tonight you pussy. And since the bars and clubs lack a lot of woman now because they're all scared of having a little fun with a strange man on the loose…none of us were able to get laid!" he said angrily, shoving Hinata back into the broad chest of one of his buddies. The broad chested man gripped her arms tightly.

"Yo, Okami, he's the only one that's married out of all of us," a high-pitched voice said out of the darkness. Hinata observed them all as they thankfully ignored her. The high-pitched voice belonged to a tall, lanky man with dark hair. She noticed the big man her back was pressed up against had curly hair and thick arms. Another man was completely shaved and was watching her with a creepy glint in his eyes. The last man was covered in tattoos and piercings and was taking long drinks out of a bottle he was holding.

"Oh please," Okami drawled, facing the hooded man. "I haven't seen his woman in so long."

"When was the last time you visited?" the hooded man asked with a laughing tone.

Okami smirked and punched him in the shoulder. "You got me there, man," Okami turned and faced Hinata again. "You're my friend, you know that. I listen to you when it comes to a lot of things but I'm not gonna listen to you right now. It's been a long time since I've had sex."

_**Maybe he's the rapist…**_Naruto said roughly.

_**That wouldn't make sense, **_Ino said slowly. _**He just said he didn't sleep with anyone in a while. **_

_** A kill hasn't been reported since that curly haired woman, **_Naruto said warily. _**Maybe today really is the day. **_

"Hey, you listening?" Okami asked, patting Hinata on the cheek. Hinata snapped her head to the side to avoid his fingers and tried to move away but the broad shouldered man behind her tightened his grip on her arms and pressed them to her back.

_**How would a normal girl fight in this situation? **_Hinata asked, getting upset. Normally she would be able to handle this with no problem. A few drunk men? Easy. Hit them with a couple jabs of her gentle fist and they'll be on the ground in minutes, seconds even. But her fingers were numb and freezing, she wasn't allowed to expend any chakra or show off her ninja abilities unless she was absolutely sure this was the person she was looking for in case they gave themselves away, and this Okami guy gave off a strange aura that made her skin prickle.

_**Hit them in the crotch? **_Naruto said, trying to be helpful. _**I dunno. **_

_** Actually I think Naruto might be right on this one, **_Ino said.

_**What a rude thing to do, **_Hinata said.

_**Hinata, this is not the time to act like a Hyuga, **_Naruto reprimanded with a small laugh. _She's so sweet. __**Just do what you did to Uso.**_

_** Uso's dead.**_

_** And that's not your fault, **_Naruto said nicely, trying to hide his growing panic. _**Do what you have to do to get out of there safely.**_

_** Exactly, **_Ino supplied. _**Just a few normal civilians. You can handle them. Easy.**_

_** Maybe, **_Hinata said, unsure. _**But would a normal girl be able to get out of this easily?**_

_** Probably not, **_Naruto said sadly. _**It doesn't matter. Your safety is my first concern right now. **_

"Good god, are you _deaf?_" Okami asked, getting uncomfortably close to Hinatas face. "I've been talking to you for like a few minutes now. Don't you dare ignore me."

"I-I'm sorry," Hinata said, upset at herself for stuttering.

Okami stared at her. His eyes ran up and down her body and she squirmed feeling uncomfortable. She was covered up but she was always self-conscious about herself. Okami forced her to look him in the eye and she recognized that dark, glazed look.

_**He's aroused, **_Hinata whispered in her mind.

_**I HATE THIS MISSION SO MUCH. **_Naruto declared. _**I'm so tired of these idiots constantly hitting on you.**_

_** I guess in a way it's a compliment, **_Ino said, trying to help. _**Hinata's very…likeable.**_

_** Well Hinata, can you stop being so likeable? **_Naruto said with a pout. _**I don't really want to share.**_

Ino laughed.

Hinata wasn't paying much attention to the conversation in her mind, she was too acutely aware of the fact that Okami was staring at her lips. Hinata tried burying her face in her scarf and gasped in shock when the long, blue fabric around her neck was roughly ripped away.

The laughter in her mind stopped and she felt the two ninjas in her head tense.

_**I need to get my arms out, **_Hinata said quickly.

_**Do what you have to do, **_Ino said cautiously.

"Yo, you guys, I got dibs on this one…cool?" Okami said, not really asking. The other guys mumbled and Hinata saw the hooded man turn and leave. "Hey where you going?" Okami asked his friend.

"I'm not going to be involved in this," the man stated, his voice deep.

"Eh, whatever, run home and fuck your wife," Okami said, turning away from the retreating man.

_**Six men, **_Hinata counted.

_**Easy. **_Naruto said.

Okami stared down at Hinata. "So what's your name sweetheart?" Hinata stayed silent, struggling against the curly haired man holding her, carefully assessing different plans in her head. "You're a quiet one huh?" he said, running his finger down her cheek. Hinata stiffened. "That's alright. You know what they say. The quiet ones are always the loudest."

Naruto growled in her head and Hinata shivered from both the cold and the way the man was leering at her hungrily. The five other guys laughed loudly.

"Let me go please," Hinata said, pulling at her arms.

"Since you asked _so _politely," Okami said, pretending to think. "I'd say….uh…._no_." His friends laughed again and Hinata could feel anger boiling up from her friends.

_**He's so rude! **_Ino said, outraged.

_** Hinata, just get yourself out of there, **_Naruto encouraged.

_**Okay. **_Hinata said softly. _**I don't want to hurt people…they aren't ninjas.**_

_** They're bad people, **_Naruto stated.

_**They might continue this with some other woman, **_Ino cajoled.

_**I understand, **_Hinata said.

"Hey, talk to me," Okami said, indicating to the man holding the kunoichi to move her towards the shadows. Hinata wasn't about to allow that.

"Leave me alone!" she said.

"Why should I?" Okami said, closing in on her. He placed his hands on either side of her waist and pressed his hips to hers, forcing her into the large body of the man behind her. Hinata could feel a very prominent bulge from his pants that caused her to blush. She was still projecting everything to her partners and she could feel their outrage.

_**He should **_**not **_**be touching her like that! **_Naruto exclaimed angrily.

_**You're right, **_Ino said, laughing slightly. _**Only you can do that.**_

_** Ino, this isn't the right time, **_Naruto said gruffly, arms crossed and staring at the twinkling lights of the village. _Hinata's out there sandwiched between two strangers and I can't do anything about it, _he thought to himself. He was frustrated with this Okami pervert. He was frustrated with this mission.

Hinata stared at the wolfish looking man in front of her with an uncharacteristically cold stare. She exhaled slowly. She couldn't move her legs the way she wanted to because Okami had jammed his between hers. The man behind her had locked her arms and she was ashamed she let herself get into this situation. _**I can't knee him, **_Hinata informed her friends. _**He separated my legs with his own.**_

Naruto did not like the sound of that. _**Think you'll need my help? **_He said in a strained voice. He did _not _like just standing in the trees, hearing and seeing the situation she was in…but unable to do anything about it.

_**I-I don't know, **_Hinata said, unsure. _**I wouldn't if I could use my chakra…**_

_** I'm sorry, **_Ino said sadly.

_**It's not your fault, **_Hinata said.

"Yo, Ken," Okami said, nodding at the man holding onto Hinata. "You can let go of her, I got this."

_This is my chance, _Hinata thought. The broad shouldered man, Ken, let go of Hinata and moved behind Okami, joining the rest of their crew. Hinata quickly brought her palms up to push Okami away just as she did with Uso and was really surprised when he hardly flinched. Her eyes widened in shock.

Okami laughed. "We got some fight in this one boys!" he exclaimed.

_**I don't understand! **_Hinata thought frantically. _**A normal person would be pushed back- **_Hinata, briefly caught unaware because of her disbelief, was roughly shoved into the wall of the store behind her and she felt the breath knocked out of her. She was caught off balance and was unaware Okami would be so strong.

"I think I felt a sting there," Okami said, running his hands across his chest. "Mm, you're kind of strong. I like that."

_**Ino! **_Naruto exclaimed wildly. _**Can I move closer?**_

_** Yes. **_Ino said, not even hesitating.

Naruto abandoned the trees and headed into the village. From there he snuck around from rooftop to rooftop heading closer to the lower district as fast as he could. He stopped before actually entering the area. He wanted to move even closer but he knew that might be a bit risky.

Okami placed his arms on either side of Hinatas head and grinned down at her. Hinata had an urge to roll her eyes and stab him with a few quick punches loaded with chakra but instead she decided to take a less violent approach by slipping through his arms and sliding away from him. Okami looked surprised.

"You're quick," he said. "And _flexible_," he said with raised eyebrows. He looked pleased at the thought.

_I have to be, _Hinata thought to herself. _To do my Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palm jutsu. _Hinata didn't wait to see what else Okami wanted to say. She turned and ran. She ran quickly, not as fast as she would have liked because the snow was thick and heavy, and she had to remember she was acting as a normal girl right now. _I just want to jump on the buildings and _leave_! _

Then suddenly she saw Okami appear in front of her. _**He's fast! **_She exclaimed. Instinctively she turned and saw the five other men in the group trailing after her, still some way off though. She turned down an alley, her only option now, because Okami blocked the way she was originally heading and the rest of his group prevented her from heading back.

Hinata navigated through the alley, avoiding fallen trashcans, scaring a stray cat and not knowing exactly where she was heading. The alleyway began opening up and when she reached the end she realized she reached the boundary of the village. _Oh no, _she thought. She quickly looked around and realized the only way out was back through the alley, jumping to the roofs or climbing over the wall that acted as the border. Behind the wall she saw trees. _**Why did this side of the village have to be caged in? **_she exclaimed worriedly in her head.

_**The walls extend randomly throughout the village, **_Ino quickly explained. _**It's broken down in some places but not this one I guess.**_

Hinata didn't think that made sense because a lot of this area seemed run down so why not the wall? She didn't have time to think about it because she heard rapid footsteps coming from the alley. She decided she would try and climb the wall. The buildings were too smooth and a ninja would easily be able to climb them but right now…she wasn't a ninja. The bricks were crumbling and vines were growing wildly on it and she decided those would serve as good foot and handholds. It would be a give away if she were suddenly able to jump straight onto the rooftops. She pivoted and was about to head to the wall when someone appeared in front of her in a poof of smoke. Impulsively she jumped back, arms raised defensively.

_**Okami, **_Hinata whispered in her head. _**I don't understand. I think he's a ninja.**_

_** Oh no… **_Ino mumbled. _**A normal teenage girl wouldn't be able to fight against that…**_

_** Well Hinata's a ninja too, **_Naruto exclaimed. _**Kick his ass!**_

_** But the mission- **_Hinata started to say, eyeing Okami who watched her with a feral look in his eyes.

_**Screw that, I don't want you getting hurt! **_Naruto shouted. _**The killer probably isn't around so no worries about the ninja thing, **_Naruto said, sounding unsure._** And if Okami really is the rapist well then, good, kick his ass! **_Naruto wanted so badly to just jump to her side but he forced himself to wait.

"Hey," Okami said, grinning. "You didn't let me finish what I was saying." Hinata wanted to activate her Byakugan but she hesitated. She would stick with her fists if she could. "You're flexible. You must be real fun in bed," he flirted.

_**I think I'm going to kill him, **_Naruto said coldly.

_**I think I'm going to throw up, **_Hinata said softly. "Y-You're a ninja." Hinata stated.

"Figured that out, huh?" Okami said. "Wanna sleep with me now?"

Hinata frowned.

"Oh, come on," the man wheedled. "Most woman here would jump at the chance to sleep with a shinobi."

Hinata heard the rest of his group arrive and shot a quick glance behind her. They blocked her exit. Now she was trapped in this small area with a ninja and five men with unknown strength. _Not good. _"No thank you," Hinata said, arms still raised, slowly moving away from the men.

Okami ignored what she said and continued trying to coax her to say more. "What were you doing out at night anyway? Actually, I don't really care. I know what you're going to do _now_. Any guesses?" he waited for Hinata to answer and narrowed his eyes when she didn't. "Fine. Well, let me tell you. Would you like the detailed version or the short one?" Again Hinata said nothing. "Ah well, short then. I'll let you experience the _long_ one," he said, his friends laughing at his innuendo.

_**Hinata will you be needing backup? **_Ino questioned.

_**I think so, **_Hinata said apologetically.

_**Great, **_Naruto said honestly. _**Should I come right now?**_

_** How would we explain some random ninja showing up? **_Ino asked, a bit concerned.

_**Doubt they'll remember anything, **_Naruto said.

_**Well let's wait a bit, **_Ino said slowly and unsurely. _**Maybe Hinata won't need your help. **_

Naruto groaned in frustration, squatting down and holding his head in his arms. He didn't like this situation one bit.

Meanwhile Okami was still talking. "I'm going to kiss you first. Or maybe I'll strip you," he said, thinking. "Don't know. I'll be figuring that out soon." Hinata reached the wall and now all the drunken men were opposite her. "I'm sure you won't mind having a little audience during our session?"

Hinata was thinking about whether she'd be able to climb the wall before Okami got to her but faster then she thought he could move, he was on her. She squeaked in shock as he slammed into her in a poof of smoke. Again he pushed her into the wall, her head hitting the stone. She saw lights and hissed in pain.

_**Hinata! **_She heard Naruto and Ino screaming things in her mind but that just made her headache worse.

She blinked rapidly. _This is not the time to get confused! _Quickly she arched her feet and aimed a kick at his side. Okami easily slapped her foot out of the air. She tried punching him but he dodged effortlessly by moving his head from side to side and using his hands to block the ones she aimed for his chest. _**This type of fighting isn't going to work, **_Hinata projected. Then Okami went on the offensive. Hinata was able to avoid a few of his punches and noticed something flying towards her. _A beer bottle!_ Okami's drunken friends were trying to assist him! As she went to avoid the glass, Okami took advantage of it and slammed her head back into the wall again. She felt a prick on her neck and realized he stuck a needle there. _**He's drugging me! **_Hinata gasped.

_**That's it, **_Naruto said roughly. _**I'm on my way. **_Ino said nothing to stop him.

Hinata felt her eyesight go blurry and she tried activating her Byakugan but realized her chakra control was off.

"Yea, bitch," Okami said with a laugh, noticing the shock and look of worry on her face. "Think I wouldn't notice a ninja when I saw one? Nah, I'm a sensory type. You did a real good job of masking your chakra, lemme tell you. But not enough. Your chakra levels spiked a bit during our little spiffs. The injection I gave you will keep you unable to control your chakra…as well as some other things. It doesn't last very long. Don't worry…it won't kill you. But it'll last long enough to let me get what I want."

Hinata tried throwing punches and kicks again, this time trying to use chakra but unable to. Okami just laughed. "Oh please," he said. "That won't work."

_**Naruto-kun! **_Hinata exclaimed.

_** I'm on my way Hinata, **_he said frantically. _**Just hold on! I have to find you. **_He wanted to summon several shadow clones to help him but, gritting his teeth, he remembered they still had to be covert about all of this. _FUCK! _

Hinata started feeling groggy and the world started spinning. "What-"

"It doesn't _just_ depress chakra," Okami explained, pushing the drugged Hyuga to the wall. "It kinda affects your brain. I don't know the exact details really. Bought it from some guy off the streets." Hinata found herself unable to concentrate on what was going on and she felt fear erupt in her chest. "Sadly it only lasts a little while though. So my buddies won't be able to have a go at you. They'll have to have their fun just watching."

Okami pulled out a kunai hidden in his clothes. Hinata remembered she was fighting a ninja. She blinked trying to remember what was going on. There was a bearded man in front of her. She couldn't feel her fingers and her legs felt like jelly. She could hear someone yelling at her in her mind but couldn't bring herself to concentrate on it. She knew something was wrong but _what?_

Okami used the kunai to slice off Hinatas coat and as he did that her gloves were pulled off too. "What's this?" Okami asked, glancing at her palm. Hinata tried pulling her hand away weakly but she didn't realize what was going on. "A seal?" Okami muttered to himself, pulling her hand back. "I dunno what it's for…never saw one like this." He narrowed his eyes at it and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well."

Suddenly the yelling in Hinata's mind was cut off. She welcomed the silence and smiled to herself, blinking at the blurred world around her. Okami saw the woman smile and grinned.

* * *

I apologize if Hinata didn't fight as well as you may have hoped. I tried addressing the reasons why. But mistakes happen in battle. Believe me, I think Hinata is one of the strongest kunoichi out there and I _know_ she would kick this guys ass without breaking a sweat if she would have used all of her abilities in the beginning. I hope I haven't let any of you down and wish you stay with me on this story!

Also many of you have expressed that you want Hinata to meet the killer soon and all I have to say about that is: Who is to say she hasn't? Haha. Make of that as you will.

Also I apologize I didn't update sooner. For some reason FanFiction wasn't allowing me to. I was so frustrated each time I clicked on "Manage Stories" and an error page would show up.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next**: Pleasure**

Suddenly she felt her muscles tense, like a coil being released. Her legs forced together and her body arched up. Her mouth was open in a silent cry and suddenly she felt really exhausted.


	11. Chapter 10- Pleasure

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 10- Pleasure**

* * *

_Continued-_

Meanwhile Naruto was desperately searching for Hinata. He tried to remember the images of what she was seeing before. He cursed, wishing he could just summon clones but a million Naruto's would be too noticeable. He groaned in frustration. His job was to protect her and he _would_ do that. Naruto impulsively summoned a few clones and sent them off in search of Hinata. Sometime after Hinata had called his name in his mind she completely stopped talking. He had felt her presence but she wasn't responding to neither his nor Ino's calls. A few minutes later...her presence completely disappeared. That's when Naruto cursed everything to hell and allowed his chakra to surface. He tried sensing _Hinata's_ chakra and was distraught to find that he couldn't feel it at all. He felt someone else's though and immediately headed towards it.

* * *

Okami had laid a drugged Hinata on the ground. Her coat was gone and he was admiring the shape of her body. She was wearing a simple long sleeved white shirt and black pants with boots. He noticed she had some hidden weapons concealed beneath the coat and placed those out of her reach in case the drug should wear off faster than normal. He sliced at her shirt and ripped it off her, wincing slightly when he realized he accidently cut into her skin a little. He realized he also bruised her from the little brawl they had before but shrugged. He frowned at her white bra, personally wishing she wore something more provocative and sexy. He heard her mumble something. _Nature? Naru? Token? Natok? Whatever._ He started unbuttoning her pants and leaned down to kiss her when he saw something that caught his attention. _A hickey? _He ran a light finger across the mark and smirked. _Not as innocent as you seem, eh? Well as long as you can pleasure me good…_

Okami felt some chakra approaching and cursed. "Fuck!" he reluctantly got up and turned away from the luscious looking girl and faced his boys. "I think someone's coming," he informed them. None of them seemed to care. One was knocked out on the ground, a few were drinking and one was jacking off. "Idiots…" Okami muttered to himself. He stood above the woman on the ground, still mumbling something he couldn't decipher. He kicked at her side to try and get her to shut up but she just let out a small groan in pain, still lost and unaware of what was going on. _I don't have time to fight some idiot, wannabe, ninja, _Okami thought to himself. _I need to fuck her before the drug wears off. _

He leaned back down fumbling with the buttons on her jeans, angry at himself for drinking too much. Instinct kicked in while he was dodging her well-placed attacks but now he found himself struggling with goddamn _buttons?_ _Ridiculous! _He sensed the chakra getting even closer and realized there was more than one now. _What the fuck? _He turned around, a bit too late, and saw several orange and yellow blurs flash out of the darkness, heading towards him.

* * *

Naruto saw Hinata on the ground not really moving and felt anger flare up inside of him. He quickly noted her ripped coat and shirt tossed haphazardly at her side. Just as Naruto was about to reveal himself he saw that Okami guy kick Hinata and grope at the buttons on her pants. Naruto bared his fangs and immediately summoned shadow clones, not caring about the repercussions at the moment.

Most of the shadow clones headed towards the five drunken friends and Naruto was about to fly in and rasengan Okami's ass when the man whipped out a kunai and held it to Hinata's throat. Hinata slowly blinked and Naruto realized the drugs were stronger than he thought they would be.

"No, no, no." Okami said with a snicker. "Better release that blue ball thing or I'll slit her throat."

"You hurt her and I'll kill you," Naruto snarled.

Okami was staring at Naruto's hand, which still held the swirling ball of chakra. "Release it," he said, pressing the kunai against Hinata's neck, drawing small droplets of blood.

Grudgingly Naruto did as he was told. He was sure he could have made it to Hinata in time but he didn't want to risk her life. He would _not _lose her.

"Call your clones off too," Okami commanded. Behind Naruto, his clones were already chasing off Okami's buddies. From what Naruto could tell, they didn't do much, so he simply scared them off…giving them a few bruises of course.

"How sweet," Naruto said, his voice cold. "You care about your friends." Naruto's shadow clones vanished but Okami's friends still fled. "They don't seem to care about _you_ though. Good because you piss me off."

"Oh please, worry about the woman in _my_ arms," Okami sneered. Naruto tensed as Okami moved the hand not holding onto the weapon up her waist and placed it right beneath the curves of her breasts.

"Let. Her. _Go_." Naruto hissed.

"You guys act like I'll listen to what you say," Okami chortled. "Damn…who thought it would be so hard to just get fucking _laid_ tonight." Naruto took a step towards them but Okami held up a finger. "I wouldn't if I were you."

"I swear…I will _murder_ you if you do _anything_-"

Okami held Hinata in his arms. Her back was to his chest and she was still conscious but practically deadweight. He tightened his grip on her and leaned down towards her cheek. Okami made sure he still had eye contact with the strangely clad ninja in front of him as he placed a kiss on Hinata's cheek. Hinata frowned, she could tell something was wrong but her mind was foggy and in the haze she simply couldn't tell up from down.

"Naruto-kun…" she mumbled.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled out, completely forgetting about fake names.

"Oh so _that's_ her name," Okami said, allowing her to drop roughly to the floor. Naruto made a move to catch her but Okami placed a foot on her chest and crouched down next to her. In pointed at her neck. "That hickey. I'm assuming you gave it to her?" Naruto curled his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes. "Quite the mark, gotta say."

"_Shut up!"_ Naruto exclaimed, pulling out kunai from his pack.

"Man, I warned you," Okami said darkly. He took hold of Hinata's foot and twisted with extreme force.

Even through the haze Hinata felt the pain. She screamed and her body instinctively curled up on itself. Naruto threw his kunai but Okami dodged them easily. The weapons stuck to the wall behind him.

"Hinata!" Naruto called, eyes flashing red for a brief second. Okami looked shocked and suddenly uneasy, unsure if he really saw that.

"Stay where you are," he said, his voice wavering. "Or I'll break more than just her foot."

"You son of a bitch!"

"So tell me," Okami said, pulling Hinata onto his lap, not caring about her weak protests. "How is she in bed?" Naruto bared his teeth at him. He felt so helpless. He could hear Ino in his mind but was paying no attention to her. "She got quite the rack huh?" Okami said as he moved his hand up to her bra.

"Don't you _dare_," Naruto hissed.

"I didn't even do anything to her yet," Okami said, rolling his eyes. "Not much anyway."

"I'm warning you," Naruto said, his voice dripping with anger. Okami's hand hovered over Hinata's chest and instead he brought it lower to her legs. He rubbed the inside of her thighs and slowly moved his hands higher, grinning at the look of outrage on Naruto's face.

"What?" Okami asked. "Only you can touch her? Now that's not fair." Okami stared down at the pale woman in his lap. "She really is a beauty, huh?"

"Let her go."

"No. I really want to see how she is in bed. Now don't be rude. I think she'd like some privacy."

"This is my last warning-"

"Oh please. You've been barking out warnings for a while now. You act like you actually have a plan," Okami snickered. He tilted Hinata's head and bent down to kiss her when he saw the orange clad ninja disappear in a bright light and felt something cold against his neck. "What the fuck-"

"You were too busy ogling _my_ girlfriend," Naruto hissed in his ears. "To notice that one kunai had a tag hanging from it."

"You just disappeared-" Okami sputtered.

"In a flash." Naruto said smirking, thinking about his father for a brief second. "Now let go of Hinata. _Gently._" Okami slowly lay Hinata down on the ground and Naruto forced him to his feet. Suddenly Naruto noticed a glint in the air. _A kunai! _It was headed towards Hinata and Naruto roughly pushed the idiot, drunk ninja away from him and blocked the pointed projectile from piercing Hinata's chest. _Where the hell did that come from? _He looked around quickly, searching the white snow for the perpetrator but saw and felt nothing. He cursed and turned his attention back on Okami who got in a battle stance.

"I-I don't want to fi-fight you," Okami stuttered, looking nervous.

Naruto raised his eyebrows, taking off his orange jacket and placing it over Hinata in an attempt to preserve some of her modesty and protect her from the cold. The fog in Hinata's mind was finally _slowly_ lifting and she was beginning to comprehend what was going on. Naruto's scent from his jacket invaded her nose and she sighed, content. She still felt a throbbing pain from her leg but she tried to ignore that.

"What do you mean you don't want to fight me?" Naruto asked, still angry but also puzzled.

"I let your girl go didn't I?" Okami said, sounding frightened.

"You mean I _forced_ you too," Naruto snarled.

"Yea sure, whatever," Okami muttered. "Just let me go, I won't do anything else. I promise."

"You're a coward."

"Sure, sure. I fight people…just not ninjas," Okami said, mumbling the last part. "At least not when they're aware..."

"So you're a bully," Naruto snarled, eyes narrowed. "I hate bullies," he said, thinking about his childhood. "You acted all tough when you used Hinata as a shield."

"I'll go in peace!"

"Like hell you will!" Naruto rushed at him and Okami cowered, not even trying to avoid the punch. Naruto socked him right in the face and he felt a crack as Okami's nose broke.

"Fuck you!" Okami screamed, holding onto his bleeding nose. "God, I just sense chakra and shit. Fuck! FUCK!"

"You act like you've never had a broken nose," Naruto laughed darkly as he shoved the man to the wall.

"I didn't you fucking asshole!" Okami moaned. "I broke a few myself-"

"Well then you had this a long time coming," Naruto growled. "You broke her foot."

"Might have just twisted it."

Naruto slammed him into the wall again, his head banging against the stone hard. "You _really_ aren't making this better for yourself."

"Ugh, stop!" Okami yelled. "My head's aching."

"You did the same thing to her!" Naruto roared.

"Naruto-kun…" Naruto whipped his head around and saw Hinata trying to sit up. She was holding her head with one hand and his coat to her chest with the other. "I-I-I'm sorry…" she said slowly. Her eyelids felt so heavy, her foot ached, her head spun and she was still confused but her mind was starting to clear.

"Hinata just stay where you are," Naruto commanded, pulling out a kunai from his pack and sticking it through Okami's sleeves and jacket. The man was pinned to the wall and he struggled, cursing at Naruto. The mans jacket ripped and his arm came free and he attempted to scratch at the jinchuuriki's face like a wild animal but Naruto pulled the kunai stuck in the wall and pierced it through Okami's palm, effectively gluing his hand to the stone wall. Okami screamed and started bawling but Naruto ignored him and headed towards Hinata. _That idiot's down for the count but who threw that kunai? _That thought was pushed towards the back of his mind when he slid to Hinata's side and held her to him.

Hinata leaned heavily against Naruto, still dazed. "Naru-"

"Sh, Hinata. Are you alright?" Naruto asked, running his eyes along her body looking for any injuries.

"Why's it so cold?" she asked, snuggling into his coat. "Thank you for the jacket. It smells good."

_The drug is really having some affect, _Naruto thought with a light laugh. "Thanks Hinata. Hold still okay?" he said gently.

She nodded and looked up at him with a large smile. Okami was screaming and she glanced at him with a frown. Something in the back of her mind told her that that was a bad man and she should be happy he was stuck to a wall. She turned her attention back towards Naruto, who had taken his jacket and was trying to slip her arms through it. She tried helping him but her arms felt heavy. _What's wrong with me? _she thought, her mind muddled. She felt fabric against her skin as Naruto zipped up his coat.

Naruto smiled at her. _She looks so cute. _The jacket was large on her and hung loosely from her body and she stared at him with wide, confused eyes. _This is not the time to think about that, _he told himself. He couldn't see her fingers because they were covered by the sleeves of his jacket but he realized they would be freezing. He glanced at Okami who was still whimpering by the wall, too scared to pull out the kunai. _**Ino, **_Naruto said in his head.

_**FINALLY!**_ Ino screamed loudly, causing Naruto to wince. _**I HAVE BEEN-**_

_** Can you get the authorities to pick up this Okami guy? **_Naruto interrupted.

_**Yes, sure, whatever. Tell me where you are. What happened to Hinata-**_

Naruto quickly gave details about their whereabouts and gathered Hinata as gently as he could into his arms. He turned and faced Okami. "Stay put."

"Like I could _go_ anywhere!" the wolfish man sputtered, tugging futilely at the weapon jammed in his palm. "Fine! Take your bitch and go! I should have just killed her when I had the chance. Then _none_ of us could have fucked her!"

Naruto frowned and scowled at the man. "You really shouldn't test me right now," he said in a cold tone. "It'll hardly take any time or effort for me to kill you right now."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said softly, clutching at his chest. "It's cold." Naruto held her closer and tighter and she flinched, her ankle sending jolts of pain through her body. "I'm sorry I messed up," Hinata continued, beginning to be able to make sense of things going on around her. "If I could have used my chakra-"

"I know," Naruto said sadly. "It's not your fault. You really tried following the mission. I didn't though," he said with a shaky laugh. "Sent out clones and everything."

"Oh well," Hinata said with a disappointed sigh. "It was bound to happen."

Naruto smiled at her.

"You guys are disgusting," Okami said, breathing heavily. The couple looked up at the man with matching frowns. "All I wanted tonight was to get drunk and get laid!" he yelled. "But your stupid bitch of a girlfriend wouldn't give me that much!"

Naruto didn't look at Hinata but when he addressed her she saw the marks on his cheeks were more prominent and there was a reddish glint in his eyes. "Hinata, I'm going to put you down and then I'm going to kill him. After that's done I'll take you back to the hotel, 'kay?"

"No, Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke up. "Alcohol makes people do bad things. I'm sure he-"

"He's a bad guy, Hinata," Naruto said roughly. "The booze just made it worse."

"It's not part of the mission to kill this man…" Hinata continued. "He's not the killer-"

"Killer? You guys talking about that rapist?" Okami asked through hisses of pain. "Ah, now that's a man I look up to. He's able to get laid whenever he wants. And then he kills them! So no need to worry about that awkward pillow talk the next morning. I was going to try that out on you actually."

"He's digging his own grave," Naruto snarled.

_**They're on their way Naruto. **_Ino spoke in his mind.

"But fine," Naruto huffed, wanting real bad to rip the smirk off that mans face. He looked down at the woman in his arms. "Only because I don't want you to freeze."

Hinata smiled and Naruto jumped away from the scene, leaving a bleeding Okami stuck to a wall. Some of Hinata's clothes lay torn on the ground and if Naruto had paid more attention to the mysterious kunai that was previously thrown at Hinata…he would have noticed it was white.

* * *

So now here they were. Ino was healing Hinata's ankle which, fortunately, wasn't that bad. The only thing that really worried Ino were the drugs in Hinata's system. Those seemed to be wearing off, as Okami kept hinting at before. By the time Hinata finished recounting the story, or as much as she could remember, Ino believed the drug had completely worn off. The dark haired kunoichi insisted she was all right. Ino was able to practically completely heal her ankle, which Hinata thanked her profusely for. Ino checked Naruto for injuries but he came out of the little fight relatively scratch free. Hinata persuaded Ino to go to bed, telling her she was fine.

"Okay…" Ino said, a bit unsure. "You still have a few scratches and bruises from what I can tell though…"

"It's nothing," Hinata said. "I think what I really need is a hot bath," Hinata said shivering slightly, thinking about how the other man touched her.

"Alright, you do that," Ino said. "Tell me if you start feeling weird because of that shot Okami gave you. Or if you start feeling strange for _any _reason. Really. Don't hesitate on waking me up."

"Thank you, Ino-san," Hinata said with a smile.

"Naruto, watch her okay?" Ino said, turning to the man who was uncharacteristically silent. He was still upset from that nights events. "I'm not sure what other side effects the injection could have," Ino continued. "I doubt it's anything to worry about though." She turned and faced the other two ninja in the room with her hands on her hips. "Okay I want you to get a lot of rest tonight. Hinata. Care for your injuries. Naruto. Be attentive. Tonight we were reckless. Okami should be taken into custody by now but we'll find out tomorrow-in detail most likely. And I have a sneaking suspicion the killer is already onto us," she said the last part darkly. "With that happy thought…I'm going to bed. Good night guys!"

They wished Ino goodnight and shut the door. Hinata was sitting in her bed as Naruto walked around the room to his pack. He pulled out his pajama pants and a simple black shirt with a red swirl on it. He lifted up the shirt he was wearing now and Hinata looked away, red-faced. "It's not like you haven't seen this before, Hinata," Naruto said, chuckling.

Hinata slipped off her bed and headed towards the bathroom, avoiding Naruto's gaze. She was smiling but she also knew she was blushing and that made her even more embarrassed.

"Hinata," she heard Naruto whine. She felt gentle hands grip her arms before Naruto pulled her to his chest.

"Naruto-kun!" she squeaked. "I-"

"Hinata, are you okay?" he asked seriously, his eyes scanning her. "_Really._ Are you okay?"

She smiled. His concern was sweet. "I'm fine," she said. "He didn't _really _do anything to me."

Naruto tightened his grip around her. "He practically stripped you. He threatened to kill you."

"But he didn't."

"He could have."

"He didn't."

"Hinata…"

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata teased.

Naruto laughed, pressing his forehead against hers. He looked down at her, his smile wide. "Hinata…" he said hesitantly. "I…I…You know how I feel about you right?" he reprimanded himself at not being able to say it. He's so loud about everything else, why not this? _I don't want to be rejected. _But he _knew_ she wouldn't push him away.

"I-I do," Hinata said, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm sorry," he said, burying his face in her hair.

"What for?"

"For everything. Not being there when we were younger. Not being there a few years ago. And hardly being there for you today."

Hinata pulled away from him, a slight frown on her face. "Naruto-kun, you really have nothing to be sorry about," she insisted.

He exhaled slowly, staring at the determined look on her face. It reminded him of the time she slapped him during the Great Ninja War. He leaned down and kissed her hard. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they separated, breathing heavily, she smiled at him.

"Maybe you should put on a shirt now," she whispered with a laugh.

Naruto blushed but grinned. "Nah, I think I like it like this," he said, chuckling.

"I'm going to go take a bath," she said, heading towards the door. "You should probably get some sleep."

"Alright," he said, stretching. He noticed Hinata watching him with heated cheeks and grinned. "Like what you see?" he goaded with a laugh.

She pouted and shut the door. Naruto heard Hinata turn on the bath and got into bed. He wasn't sure he'd be able to fall asleep. His body was still anxious because of what happened a while ago. He twisted and turned in bed in an attempt to find a comfortable position to sleep.

* * *

Hinata ran the faucet until the hot water was near the top of the tub. She slowly lowered herself in, the heat soothing her tired muscles. Her hair was tied up messily like she normally would when she went to the hot springs and she leaned down in the water until her chin skimmed the top. She sighed, content, and lay her head back, her mind shifting from topic to topic. She felt so comfortable and before long she found herself nodding off. Then the Hyuga fell asleep.

* * *

_She felt hands on her breasts and wanted to throw up. But fortunately they weren't there long. He just wanted relief. He rubbed between her legs and she felt her body unwillingly responding. She felt something hot at her opening and realized it was his tongue. She whimpered as he continued his ministrations. Finally he stopped. She heard something unzip and as soon as she realized what he was doing it was too late. _

_ Her mouth opened in a large O as she felt him enter her. _It hurt!_ He was rough as he continued pounding into her. She heard the other woman giggle and heard his moans of pleasure and she felt ashamed._

* * *

Hinata shot up with a scream. _That dream again! _She thought. She heard a bang, curses, and footsteps right before the bathroom door was forced open. She squeaked, immediately knowing who it was but her arms came up instinctively to cover her chest.

"Hinata! What-Wha…" Naruto was standing at the door holding his previously hidden kunai once again. He was staring wide-eyed at the woman in the water, his face red. He stood there, mouth agape as Hinata stared back, blushing furiously.

"N-N-Naruto-k-kun-"

"Oh, uh, sorry Hinata!" he exclaimed, turning around. "I, uh, I didn't mean to. I thought that maybe…sorry I should have known…not to, ya know…" He was awkwardly rubbing his hair, not looking at the Hyuga.

He kept apologizing but that sounded further and further away and before she knew it…she fainted.

* * *

Hinata's eyes slowly fluttered open. At first she was confused but then she remembered she was taking a relaxing bath. _I probably fell asleep, _she thought to herself. _I had a weird dream though…that Naruto-kun-_

"Hey Hinata," she heard a familiar male voice say from next to her. "You awake?" She turned her head slowly and saw Naruto practically nose to nose with her. "You fainted like a minute or two ago," he stated, his cheeks red. "I was afraid you'd drown or something."

"Oh…" Hinata said slowly, feeling heat creep up her neck. "Th-Thank you?"

"I-" Naruto cleared his throat. His eyes looked a bit glazed and Hinata realized he was aroused. "I should go." He got up to go but froze in his tracks as Hinata started to speak.

"I had that dream again…" she said slowly. "Thank you for checking on me, Naruto-kun."

He turned and looked at her with a small smile. "Yea, of course."

"Um, ano," Hinata said softly, poking her fingers together before realizing she was a bit exposed and bringing her hands back down. "I fo-forgot my towel…can you-"

"Oh, yea, sure!" Naruto said, leaving immediately.

Hinata relaxed a bit. _It's just Naruto-kun, _she thought to herself. He returned with her fluffy purple towel and placed it beside her before crouching down on his knees. "Um, Hinata…you know you can sleep in my bed right?" he said, scratching the back of his head and smiling slightly. "Maybe to stop the bad dreams from recurring."

"I was planning on it," she said shyly.

Naruto brightened. His grin became smaller and his expression more serious as he stared at Hinata with a dark look. "Hinata…" he said, his voice deep. "Can I kiss you?" he sounded desperate.

Hinata went scarlet but nodded mutely. Her body was tingling and she wanted this. Naruto's lips were immediately on hers. He kissed her softly, holding her face with one hand, the other gripping the side of the tub. Hinata thought he would leave after that kiss but was happy to find that he didn't. She felt comfortable. The fact that she was completely naked under the water left her mind. Not his though. He tilted his head to kiss her better and trailed his hand gently down her face to her neck, tickling her skin. Before she knew it he was kneading her breasts and she opened her mouth in surprise. He took that opportunity to gently probe her mouth with his tongue. Naruto felt a vibration in his mouth as Hinata moaned quietly.

Suddenly Naruto pulled back and she looked at him in surprise. He traced a thin, barely visible scratch on her chest. "You got that when he tried cutting your shirt off, I think…" Naruto said, frowning.

"Ino said it won't even leave a scar," Hinata said, her breathing shallow.

Naruto looked into her pale eyes, clouded in lust he was happy to see. "Good," he said, kissing her on top of the red mark he left on her neck. "I'd be really happy if the only marks, other than battle scars and stuff, I see on you is what you get from me," he smiled before nipping at her throat. She hummed, angling her head so Naruto had more access.

Naruto leaned forward as the water in the bathtub lapped around. His hand was soaked in the hot water as he gently played with her breasts but it didn't bother him. He smiled as Hinata purred in pleasure. He moved his kisses to her neck and slipped his fingers further down her body. She gasped in surprise as she felt Narutos fingers between her legs.

"Is this okay?" she heard Naruto whisper, breathing heavily.

She let out a hiss of pleasure when Naruto softly ran his finger against her inner thighs to her lips down below. That was a whole new experience for her. "Y-yes," she said, blushing as her hip thrust on its own.

All Naruto wanted to do right now was make Hinata feel good. He wanted her to forget all those bad memories and remember these more pleasurable ones. He kissed her passionately and continued to explore her body, learning as he went. He realized pressure on specific parts of her body made her moan and sigh happily, and as he continued his ministrations he maintained lip contact with her skin. He nipped and sucked at her neck as his hand disappeared under the water.

Hinata felt jolts of pleasure run up her spine. Her breathing was heavy and she felt a strange sensation building up inside of her. She realized she was letting him touch her like a lover. She didn't know exactly what Naruto was doing to her but she knew it felt good. "Naruto-kun…" she whispered just before his lips found hers again. Suddenly she felt her muscles tense, like a coil being released. Her legs forced together and her body arched up. Her mouth was open in a silent cry and suddenly she felt really exhausted.

Hinata sensed Naruto's hand leave the water and she slowly blinked up at him, her face red and her lips parted, shallow breaths escaping from her mouth. He looked proud as he stared down at her with a small smile. She was breathing heavily and trembling slightly and Naruto gave her one last kiss before getting up. "I'll see you in bed, Hinata," he whispered, drying his wet arm on her towel before handing it to her with a grin.

"Y-yes, okay," she said softly, still blushing. As he left Hinata buried her face in her towel, smiling to herself.

* * *

Again I want to thank those who stay with me on this story and give me the push and confidence I need to keep writing. I'd also like to say that I'm sorry that everything I write isn't up to everyone's expectations. My fic isn't perfect. I know that. I try my best, sorry. Though, in truth, my confidence is wavering but I thank you all nonetheless. Truly.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Confession**

"'…how could anyone love me? _Me?_ The container of the nine-tailed fox. The orphan and the troublemaker. The-'"


	12. Chapter 11- Confession

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 11- Confession**

* * *

Sunlight spilled in through the cracks in the blinds and Naruto shifted slightly in bed. _Don't wanna get up, _he thought to himself with a groan. He felt something warm next to him and opened his eyes. Hinata's long, dark, silky hair tickled his nose and he smiled. He tightened his grip on her waist and snuggled closer against her back. She let out a small sigh but didn't wake. His mind wandered to what he did to her last night and he felt himself go red. _She let me touch her like a lover, _he mused. He propped himself on one elbow and gently moved her hair away from her face. Naruto leaned down and placed light kisses on her jaw and throat. Hinata shifted and a small smile formed on her face as her eyes fluttered open.

"Morning," Naruto said, his lips brushing lightly against her skin.

"Morning," she whispered, yawning.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Naruto said, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"No, it's fine," she said turning on her side to face him.

He lay down beside the woman and stared at her with a small, content smile on his face. She looked at him with a light blush on her cheeks and he knew where her thoughts wandered.

* * *

After their little moment in the bathroom last night Hinata had slipped out of the tub and taken her time drying herself off, her hands trembling slightly. Her face was flushed as she remembered what she allowed Naruto to do to her. _That wasn't just kissing, _she thought blissfully. _It was more than a few light touches. _She wanted to squeal joyously into the towel she was holding but restrained herself. _He made me…I… _A pleasant tingle ran through her body. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, composing herself. This was a brand new experience for her and she didn't know how she was supposed to react to it. She sighed happily and finished wiping the droplets of water clinging to her skin.

Smiling to herself she wrapped the towel lightly around her body and glanced around the bathroom. She realized she had forgotten to bring her pajamas when she came to take a bath and frowned, wondering why she was so forgetful suddenly, but decided it may have been an aftereffect of the drug.

She noticed a small pile of clothing on the tiled floors and smiled. _Naruto-kun must have brought these with the towel, _she thought as she fingered the clothing. He had left her a large, orange shirt of his along with a few of her articles of clothing. _Orange…_she thought to herself, with a quiet giggle. _The color grows on you. _She slipped the clothes on, hanged her towel to dry and tiptoed into the other room.

The bedside lamp was the only source of light and from it she saw that Naruto was already snuggled under the covers. His body faced the empty side of the bed he left room for her. She crept over quietly, slowly pulling down the blanket, careful not to bother the other ninja. The bed creaked slightly at the weight of her body as she climbed in. She gently pulled the cover over herself, leaving a modest space between her back and Naruto's body. At first she thought that Naruto may have fallen asleep but a few seconds passed and she felt the ninja beside her move closer to her. She felt his arm wrap smoothly around her waist and pull her to his chest.

"Good night, Hinata," he whispered, placing a feather light kiss on her neck.

"Good night, Naruto-kun," she said, smiling softly.

* * *

Now it was some time in the afternoon and Naruto was staring at her fondly. He found her hand under the covers and tightened his grip on it, thinking about how he held her hand for the first time during the war.

"Hinata?" he said her name a bit nervously. "About last night…are you okay with that?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked gently, wincing at her stutter. She knew exactly what he was talking about and he knew that too, judging by the steady rate that blush was sneaking up her face.

"I mean," he said, clearing his throat and looking at her seriously. His heart was beating rapidly and he was a bit worried. When she crawled into bed last night he had hesitated a little before pulling her into an embrace. She seemed to accept it…but still. He took a deep breath, his blue eyes looking into her pale ones. "Do you regret that I even stepped foot in the bathroom last night? That I touched you that way and made you orgasm?"

Hinata blushed brightly at how blunt he was being. She shook her head, swallowing. "I've always…Naruto-kun…y-you know I love you." Naruto felt his heart flutter at her words. Hinata felt courage bloom at the delighted look on Naruto's face. But she could also tell by the look in his eyes that he was worried and a bit apprehensive about what he had done last night. That came off as a bit odd to her because if she remembered clearly he seemed proud when he was done and had pulled away from her. She wanted to reassure him. She gave him a quick peck on his lips and smiled kindly. "If I wanted anyone to t-touch me like that…it would be you, Naruto-kun."

"Hinata-" Naruto said, his voice cracking. "I was afraid that my feelings would go unrequited because of my past. Because people wouldn't accept them or feel that way about me…but I shouldn't have been scared. I tried to show you...I'd express my affection for you differently but I have to say it." He chuckled, looking nervous but happy. "I…I-I love you. I really do." He sighed deeply. "I just wish I would have realized that sooner. You've always been there for me, and last night I just wanted to please you. _I _wanted to do something for _you_ for a change. I want you to be by my side, Hinata. Can you do that for me?"

Hinata felt tears of joy form in her eyes. She laughed quietly, eyes crinkled as she smiled widely. "Yes, Naruto-kun. Yes, I can do that!"

Naruto laughed happily, feeling all his stress and uncertainties vanish. He pulled her into a hug before hovering over her and kissing her gently but passionately. "I'm sorry my confession wasn't as special as yours," he said, tugging lightly at her lip.

"Oh no, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, staring up at him lovingly. "I'd rather you not do as I did."

"That's not fair," he said with a pout, eyes twinkling. "Do you know how that made me feel? I was pinned down. You tried to help me. You told me you _loved me_. I could barely process that. How could anyone love me? _Me?_ The container of the nine-tailed fox. The orphan and the troublemaker. The-"

"The hero of the village," Hinata finished. "The hero of the war."

"One of the _causes_ of the war…" he muttered.

She smiled. "Maybe…but that wasn't why I confessed. I fell in love with you before all that. I was ready to die that day-"

"Hinata!"

"I was, Naruto-kun," she said, looking sadly at his distraught face. "I was…I _am_ willing give my life to save yours."

He frowned at her. His throat felt tight and he took a deep, shuddering breath. "Never do that again."

"I can't promise you that," she said, with a small smile.

"Please don't," he begged, pressing his forehead against hers. "I said this before…back at the Hidden Leaf. _I can't lose you, Hinata._"

"Naruto-"

"After you confessed…I thought you were dead," he said, holding her hands tightly with his against the bed. "It _hurt_."

"I'm sorry-"

"I cried, did you know?" he asked, chuckling darkly. "I was so afraid I hurt someone. I was so afraid...afraid that the person who loved me...that the person...that _you_ were gone because of _me_."

"I'm here, Naruto-kun," she said comfortingly.

"I know…" he whispered. "And then after…I didn't even talk to you about it. I was just so…I don't know. I didn't know what to say or what to do. Things happened so quickly. I'm sorry."

"You did enough," she said, thinking of their interactions during the war.

He smiled at her. "You never see fault in me, do you?"

"No fault to see," she said with a smile.

He moved his hands to her face, holding onto her gingerly. "Hinata. I love you."

She felt like her heart was going to burst. "I love you too, Naruto-kun."

He kissed her softly but with feeling. He poured all his emotions into that kiss which she accepted gratefully. He gave her a few more chaste kisses before pulling his lips away, his forehead against hers. He looked at her with so much adoration and love that she felt herself blush.

There was light knocking on their door and Naruto reluctantly pulled away from her. He groaned, rolled off the bed and shuffled towards the hotel room door.

"It's Ino," Hinata stated, her Byakugan activated.

Naruto opened the door and Ino stumbled in looking wary. "Sorry if I woke you guys up," she said and Naruto just grumbled.

"No, we were up," Hinata said nicely, sliding off the bed. "Is something wrong?"

Ino swallowed. "The guardsmen of this village got back to us…"

"…And?" Naruto pushed.

"And…well that Okami guy is dead." Ino stated.

"What?" Naruto asked, surprised. Hinata didn't know what to feel.

"When they got to the scene of the crime," Ino continued. "Okami was pinned to the wall-"

"That was because of me though," Naruto said, pointing at his hand. "Stuck a kunai through his palm."

Ino shook her head. "Well there was another kunai stuck through his chest," she said with a sigh. "A white one. Straight through the heart."

Hinata gasped. "Oh no…"

"Not only that…" Ino said slowly. "But there was a note attached."

"What did it say?" Naruto asked.

"'_He pissed me off.'_" Ino quoted.

There was silence. Then Naruto spoke, sounding upset. "Was there anything else there? I sorta…didn't check. I just wanted to get Hinata back safe."

"They found another white kunai on the snow near Hinata's things."

Naruto cursed. "Someone threw that at her but I didn't sense anyone during the time and was too busy with Okami-"

"It's fine," Ino said. "I'm sure he wouldn't have hung around anyway…"

"I really didn't sense him…" Naruto muttered, disappointed in himself.

"This is all my fault…" Hinata whispered. "I could have done so much better. I was weak," Hinata said, looking down. Then her fingers curled up into fists and she looked up at her friends, eyes hard. "I'm stronger than that. I _will_ do better. If I didn't…if I used my chakra-"

"Stop blaming yourself," Ino said consolingly. "It doesn't matter now." The woman seemed hesitant. "There was something else on the note…"

Ino didn't say anything. "What was it?" Hinata asked gently.

Ino took a deep breath. "'_I want Hinata.'_"

Silence.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Naruto exclaimed.

"It means he knows who we are," Ino said roughly.

Hinata and Naruto looked at her in shock.

"So now what?" Naruto asked, a bit outraged. "We did all this for nothing?"

Ino looked upset. "I don't know!" she said, exasperated. "I really don't know."

"It's okay, Ino-san," Hinata said, in an attempt to comfort her.

Ino sighed. "We had a plan. And I know things don't always go as planned but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she said, frustrated. "Lady Tsunade told us to keep her updated and I did. So I guess now we wait until she gets back to us."

"No more patrols?" Naruto asked.

"No point," Ino stated with a shrug. "He knows who we are. I don't know if he knows we're ninjas exactly, sure he does though... considering he most likely saw Naruto fight."

"Sorry…" Naruto mumbled.

Ino waved him off. The atmosphere in the room was sad and dark at the thought of their failing mission. "He wants Hinata and parading her around now…" she trailed off, her eyebrows bunching together.

"What?" Naruto asked, a bit eager. Her expression showed she was thinking hard about something.

"Parading Hinata around now…might be exactly what we need," she finished.

Naruto stared at her with squinted eyes. "What do you mean?"

"She means the killer would come get me…I think?" Hinata quipped.

"Yes, exactly," Ino said with a nod. "If he wants you he _should_ come get you. And when he does…we strike."

"But wouldn't he suspect something?" Naruto asked.

"Probably," Ino said with a frustrated sigh. "I need some time to think this through." Hinata nodded understandingly, as did Naruto. Ino headed towards the door looking tired and waved goodbye to them. "Be careful now okay?" she said, addressing the both of them but keeping her eyes on Hinata. "We don't know how the rapist will act. Maybe he'll actually try and hunt you down…we can't really tell. Just…be wary, okay?"

Naruto and Hinata nodded and after the kunoichi left they turned and faced each other. Naruto looked upset at the prospect that the killer specifically wanted Hinata and Hinata looked a bit worried but also determined. They couldn't do anything right now. As much as Naruto wanted to just go running around the village searching for the killer, as Tsunade explained during the briefing, that would not be effective. They would have to wait.

"Now what?" Naruto asked. They couldn't do anything right now.

Hinata stared at him, tilting her head slightly. A slow, hesitant smile formed on her face. She was not going to mess up anymore. _Naruto's done enough for me. I _can _do this! _"I can think of a few things," she said bravely before leaning in and kissing him.

* * *

"Did Ino say she was going to be joining us?" Naruto asked between bites of his dinner. The sun had set a while back and it was Ino who had went out and bought them dinner. She was the only one out of the three _previously_ under covered ninjas whom they were almost positive the killer didn't know about. He had outright addressed Hinata, and Naruto was there when he threw his signature kunai. They were concerned that he'd know which hotel they were staying at but doubted it hopefully and nervously.

Hinata shook her head, cutting up her vegetables into bite-sized pieces. She was sitting next to her boyfriend with her legs crossed on one of the beds with a plate of food on her lap. Surprisingly this was one of the more comfortable missions they've been sent on. They weren't sleeping out in the trees and eating dried meat for one thing. She took a little nibble of her food after saying, "No, she didn't say where she was going. But we should leave her some."

"I wish she got ramen," Naruto said.

Hinata laughed. "Naruto-kun!"

"Ah, well, at least she got us something," he said grinning, the skin creasing around his eyes.

"Did you think she would let us starve?" Hinata teased.

"Yes," Naruto said, his face serious but his tone light. "She can be scary," he said making a face. "Brisk personalities are good too, but innocent personalities have a charm all their own*!"

Hinata smiled and shook her head, her cheeks pink.

There was sharp knocking on their door and Hinata moved her plate aside and slid off the bed. "I'll get it," she said.

Naruto leaped off the bed and intercepted Hinata. "No way, what if its…_the killer?_" he said, whispering the last part.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and tiptoed to look over his shoulder. "You're right-," she said.

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed, turning to face the door, armed with a kunai. He pushed Hinata behind him and glared at the door. Laughter came from behind him and he turned, confused. "Why are you _laughing?_" Naruto asked in a frantic whisper.

Hinata walked around him and headed towards the door. "You didn't let me finish, Naruto-kun," she said, opening the door. "If the killer was Ino-san then yes, you'd be right."

Ino stood at the doorway, looking at them with a raised eyebrows. "I missed something," she affirmed.

"It's nothing," Naruto grumbled, putting his kunai away. "Hinata is evil."

Ino smirked and Hinata just giggled.

The happy and calm atmosphere suddenly fizzled when Ino shut the door behind her and looked at them grimly. "Lady Tsunade sent us a message," she said slowly.

When she didn't say anything, Naruto glanced at Hinata who gave him a small shrug, not knowing what was wrong.

"What did she say?" Naruto asked.

Ino sighed. "This mission was declared a failure. We are to return back to Konoha."

* * *

_Last Night_

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The dark haired girl glanced at the door wondering who could be there at this time. Her bed creaked as she slid off it. She put on her slippers and shuffled towards the now silent door. Slowly she opened it, peeking through the crack. She squinted, staring into the dark hallway and sighed when she realized who it was. She opened the door wider to allow him entrance and slipped back into her room.

"Do you realize what time it is?" she asked.

"Late," he said gruffly. "I apologize."

"If you were really sorry you wouldn't have woken me." He was silent. She sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry but I killed someone without you tonight."

She frowned, looking genuinely upset. "But you promised…"

"I didn't plan on it," he explained, watching her as she sat on he bed. "It sort of…just happened."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I thought you were just having a night out with your _boys_."

"I thought so too but Okami was annoying me."

The woman laughed. "He finally started annoying you? God, he was always so irritating to me. Even when we were younger."

"Well he's dead."

The woman looked at him with wide eyes. "You just…killed him? Confess."

"He irked me."

"What did he do?"

"Do you remember that girl?"

"What girl?" the female said, sliding under her covers. "There are a lot out there. Believe me. I've noticed."

He rolled his eyes. "The one with long, dark hair like yours. Not exactly the same though… Think about it. _The_ girl. Woman now, I guess."

She sat there, thinking. She grumbled, pouted, and blew hair away from her face. "I'm stumped."

"You sure you don't want to guess?" he said, a bit playfully.

"I don't know who you're talking about!" He walked towards her and leaned down. She flinched when she felt his breath near her ear. He whispered things about the specific woman and her eyes widened. "Oh, I remember now."

"Good."

She smiled. "This reminds me of when we were younger," she said, reminiscing. "When we would play together late into the night and talk about everything and go places together. But now…"

"Things change remember?"

"I wish they didn't."

"We grew up," he said. "Unfortunately."

She stared at him with keen but soft eyes, a small smile adorning her face. "So what did you come in here to tell me anyway? Is it about her?"

"Yes," he said with a frown. "Okami wanted to sleep with her."

"Okami, that wolf. That pig," she said spitefully. "Never liked him."

"He's not _that_ bad…"

"Hey, you're the one that killed him," she said with a quiet laugh.

"Well that's only because I didn't want him to taint her."

"You like her," she stated in awe.

The man frowned. "I'm not sure."

"You don't want _him_ to taint her but you don't mind doing it yourself?"

"That's different," he said, crossing his arms.

"I've seen her," she said with a little laugh. "She _is_ quite beautiful."

"She reminds me of you," he said stiffly. "I don't know why, really. The only thing you have in common I'd say is dark and long hair…"

"That's why all those dead women-"

"Yes."

She looked at him in silence. "Our relationship is weird," she said bluntly.

He laughed harshly. "Don't you think I know that?"

She shrugged. "Well now what?"

"I left a note with Okami's corpse."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

"It said I wanted her."

"And?"

"She's my new goal."

"Why?"

"I already told you why…basically."

She exhaled slowly. "Well…okay then. I want in."

He smirked. "Of course you do."

She beamed, looking excited. "Our mission: _Get Hinata!"_

* * *

*I quoted this from the Naruto game: _Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Storm 3 _(which I don't own).

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Return**

"He gathered her in his arms and headed towards a close friends house. _Been a while since she fainted because of me,_ he thought to himself with a laugh."


	13. Chapter 12- Return

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 12- Return**

* * *

Their journey back to Konoha was a silent one. None of them were really willing to leave but leave they did, although reluctantly. They packed their bags in silence and left the hotel as discretely as they could. The journey back to their village was faster than the journey to the Village of Ash because they didn't have to stop and walk. They ran and jumped from tree to tree, a dejected aura hanging from them all.

Now they were in Tsunade's office. Naruto was standing to the side, a pout on his face, eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed. Ino was in the middle, back straight, eyes hard, and an almost indiscernible frown on her face. Hinata stood at the other end, fighting the urge to press her fingers together, her eyes constantly flicking to the floor. Tsunade was at her desk, elbows on the table with her fingers pressed together. Fortunately the debriefing was almost over.

"I realize you three really wanted to catch the killer-" Tsunade said.

"No doubt," Naruto mumbled.

Tsunade paused, looking at him with a neutral expression. "But the elders," she continued, "seemed very keen on having some say on this mission. I believe one of them knows the leader of The Village of Ash, Sora, personally and would really like this White Kunai Killer to be captured." Naruto opened his mouth to say something but Tsunade narrowed her eyes and he let out a frustrated sigh and looked away. "As do we all. But the decision was made for you guys to return."

"I don't see why," Naruto muttered darkly.

"You have been there for approximately a week on the guise that you will be attending a wedding, which, I believe, has been postponed due to this unfortunate situation. You were supposed to be undercover," Tsunade said sharply. "The killer has specifically targeted Hinata, which was not exactly part of the plan. He knows who you are. Maybe not Ino, but Naruto and Hinata, your disguises were compromised. Because he knows who you are, I highly doubt he would appear before you while Hinata was out on patrol, and because that was one of the main objectives of your mission, it was declared a failure. It was supposed to be covert. And in the end…it was not."

Tsunade waited for Naruto's angry outburst. It didn't come. "Naruto. _You_, from what was explained, flew in, chakra and clones blazing, to save Hinata. That was most likely when the killer recognized you two as undercover ninjas."

"That wasn't his fault, Hokage-sama!" Hinata exclaimed, taking a step forward. "If I didn't get myself in that situation he wouldn't have had to save me. It's m-my fault our mission failed."

"Hinata," Naruto started to say with a frown. "You-"

"_You_ followed directions," Tsunade stated, pushing back from the desk and standing up. She walked around and stood in front of the trio, arms crossed. "_I _told you myself not to use your chakra and abilities unless you were positive it was the killer. An unfortunate mistake on my part, perhaps, but either way I believe he would have found out," Tsunade said grimly. "No. You did as you were told."

"Lady Tsunade," Ino piped up. "Naruto did as he was told too. He was assigned guard duty and he did just that."

Naruto looked at his partners gratefully.

"You three are reading me wrong," Tsunade said, crossing her arms, a small smile forming on her face. "I don't blame Naruto. I don't blame any of you. This killer was tricky. _Is _tricky. I have half a mind to think that he knew who Hinata was all along but that would be a big assumption to make."

"But we failed-?" Ino asked, confused.

Tsunade sighed. "You did fail. The mission was to be covert about all this. Lure in the killer. Identify the killer. Take down the killer if you could. All disguised. That would have been perfect but things hardly ever work out. No, you three did fail, unfortunately." The three young ninjas sulked. "But…" Tsunade continued. "I, personally, wanted you three to continue your stakeout there."

"But then-" Naruto said, confused.

"But you _failed the mission_," Tsunade said abruptly. "You failed _this_ mission. This undercover mission. And so I was forced to ask you to return." Naruto still looked upset, Hinata was confused, but Ino brightened, Tsunade's words fitting together in her head. "Sora," Tsunade went on, "was told about your call back and begged us to send more ninja and the elders are doing just that. A new team is going to be sent out but none fit the criteria as nicely as Hinata does. We will have to wait and see how that turns out." Tsunade looked at them all. "I'm sorry you couldn't complete it."

"Me too," Naruto said, frustrated. "I don't even know the guy but I have a bone to pick with him."

"He did horrible things to that woman," Hinata said softly. "I wish we were able to catch him."

"This is sort of personal now," Ino said, with a lazy shrug.

"Well, hopefully this next team is more successful than you three were," Tsunade said seriously but teasingly. "We don't know how his request for Hinata will effect _their_ mission. We'll have to wait and see. That's all. You're dismissed."

Naruto grumbled and spun on his heel, glancing at Hinata. He started heading towards the door and Hinata followed in suit but Ino stayed behind. The two looked at her questioningly but she shook her head saying, "I have to talk to Lady Tsunade about something. You two go on."

Naruto shrugged and slipped his hand into Hinata's, who blushed at the pleasantly surprised look on the Hokages face. The orange ninja didn't notice and instead tugged at her arm and the two left the building in comfortable silence.

* * *

It was still light out, but the sun was beginning to set.

"What're you gonna do now, Hinata?" Naruto asked, swinging their arms.

"I guess go back to the Hyuga compound," she said slowly.

Naruto looked at her from the corner of his eye, his cheeks slightly pink. He scratched his head sheepishly before saying, "Ya know, you can stay over at my house whenever you want." Hinata went red and Naruto felt himself get flustered. "I mean not to do anything just-just to sleep or whatever. Oh man. I always say the wrong things don't I?"

Hinata shook her head quickly and laughed a little. "N-no, I would l-like that." Naruto brightened. "But I should probably go home for today. At least to tell my father and Hanabi I've returned."

"Your dad would be okay with you…uh, staying over?" Naruto asked a bit nervously.

"I th-think so," Hinata said, tightening her grip on Naruto's hand. "He's been much better after the war…after Neji-niisan…" she cleared her throat. "I've stayed over Kurenai sensai's house before to baby-sit," she added. "And he trusts me. I'm sure it would be alright."

Naruto nodded understandingly and gently rubbed his thumb against the skin of her hand in a small attempt to comfort her. She smiled at him as they continued to walk the streets of Konoha.

"People are looking at us," Naruto whispered as he noticed the glances the villagers of Konoha were throwing at them. He felt uneasy, remembering those horrible looks he got as a child.

Hinata scanned their environment and gave a light laugh. "They're smiling at us, Naruto-kun."

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

Hinata looked at him fondly. _Because you've gone from the village troublemaker to the village hero, _she thought to herself. "Because-"

"Probably because I'm with you," he exclaimed, nodding to himself. "Yup. I'm with the closest thing to a princess this village has."

Hinata blushed and looked down at the ground, her hair framing her face. "I don't think-"

"Oi, Hinata!"

The couple's conversation was cut short at the sound of a familiar voice. They turned and saw Kiba, far off but getting closer, bounding towards them on the back of Akamaru.

"Hinata. Naruto," A deep voice said from beside them. Naruto turned quickly, eyes wide, and saw Shino standing beside them. "You've returned."

"I didn't even notice you were here!" Naruto said in surprise. Shino seemed to tense at those words. Naruto often did this. The insect user remembered well that the orange ninja had practically forgotten him when he returned from those years of training with Jiraiya.

"Oh, Shino-kun, he didn't mean it like that," Hinata said, knowing her teammate well.

"Mean it like what?" Naruto asked but was ignored by the other two.

Shino wasn't very openly affectionate but it was different when it came to Hinata, whom he considered someone very close to him. Years of being on the same team tend to bring people closer together. Hinata let go of Naruto's hand and gave the Aburame a hug, which he stoically accepted. "Because I see you back here, I trust your mission went well?" he asked, hands in his pockets.

"If _well_ means we failed," Naruto grumbled.

"That's not what I meant," the bug user said seriously.

Naruto opened his mouth and looked at him in puzzlement. Shino stared at him through his black tinted glasses and Naruto tried to keep eye contact but failed, a shiver running through his body.

"No, Shino-kun, we had to return," Hinata said, noticing the strange stare down between her two friends. "We couldn't catch the killer."

"You are alright?" he asked.

Hinata nodded and smiled. That's when they heard the pattering sound of footsteps in the snow behind them. The rest of Team 8 had arrived. Akamaru was rushing towards Hinata and he leaped up into the air causing Kiba to fall backwards and sprawl into the snow. Akamaru landed on Hinata, dropping her to the ground, licking her face lightly and snuggling into her with quiet whimpers.

Hinata laughed and pet the large dog on top of her. "I missed you too, Akamaru!"

The dog barked, wagging its tail.

"Alright, that's enough," Kiba said, grinning. He grabbed hold of his partner and pulled him off of the kunoichi. He smiled, fangs showing, and helped Hinata to her feet. Kiba wasn't oblivious. He noticed Naruto holding Hinata's hand before he called her name. _Time to have a little fun, _he thought to himself.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun," Hinata said with a smile.

"I missed you Hinata!" he said with an impish grin. He embraced her tightly and raised her off the ground.

"K-Kiba-kun!" she said with a yelp. She clung to his shoulders in surprise as Naruto watched on, feeling uncomfortable. Kiba noticed. Kiba placed her back on her feet but didn't let go. He left his hands on her waist and kept himself close to her. Hinata reddened and placed her hands on his chest, wanting to be polite, but pushed against him softly.

He tightened his grip and smirked, noticing Naruto's slightly frown. "I heard the mission didn't go that well?"

Hinata relented and dropped her arms to the side. She didn't question Kiba's strange behavior. "No, we couldn't catch him."

"Oh well, glad you're back safe," he said, hugging her again.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata said, starting to get confused. He was being very affectionate and she felt the heat on her face. Then it hit her. He was teasing her! He always did weird things when it came to Naruto and she figured that's what he was doing now. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. She loved her teammates.

"What?" Kiba asked, throwing brief glances at Naruto from the corner of his eye. "You've been gone a _whoooole_ week!" he exclaimed, releasing her waist and gripping her shoulders. "What was I supposed to do without you?"

She giggled, deciding to just play along. "Whatever you do when I'm gone," she said.

"All I do is think about you," he flirted playfully, winking at her.

Naruto kicked at the snow on the ground, hands stuffed in his pockets, waiting impatiently for them to finish with their little reunion.

"Kiba-kun, you're being silly," Hinata said with a slight shake of her head, gently removing his hands.

She backed away towards Naruto who, Kiba noticed, looked relieved. _That won't do_, Kiba thought. _Gotta get him riled up. _Before Hinata reached Naruto, he whipped out his hand and grabbed hers. "Aw Hinata, spend some time with Team 8!" he said. "You've had enough time with Naruto," he said slyly, finally fully acknowledging the other ninja.

Naruto frowned. "Hey what's that supposed to mean?" he burst out, waving a fist.

"Can't you tell?" Kiba said, pulling Hinata to him, snaking his arm around her waist. "I'm stealing Hinata from you."

"I don't think so dog-boy!" Naruto said, looking outraged. He quickly formed a small rasengan and Kiba looked pleasantly surprised. Kiba always considered Naruto a sort of rival and was ready to have what he considered a playful brawl.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata said with a gasp. Kiba's teasing escalated much more than she thought it would.

Suddenly bugs surrounded the orange ninja and Shino walked towards him. "Naruto, Kiba is trying to rile you up," he said with little emotion. "Why you ask? Because Kiba enjoys creating mischief. He isn't really trying to steal Hinata from you, I believe."

Kiba laughed as Naruto's rasengan dissipated. The kuubi muttered to himself, saying he knew that. "You're so gullible Naruto," the red, triangle tattooed ninja said, relinquishing his grip on Hinata's waist. "But if you wanna fight…" he said, baring his teeth. "I'm ready." Akamaru barked eagerly.

Naruto's mood changed from grumpy to excited. "Oh, you're on!"

Hinata looked at Shino with a silent plea for help. They've been back in the village for perhaps an hour and already Naruto was going to find himself in some trouble. Shino gave her a brief nod and stepped in between the two young men, his bugs buzzing threateningly around them. He said nothing but gave each guy a direct look. Naruto grimaced and edged his way behind Hinata and Kiba just grinned, climbing onto Akamaru's back.

"Next time, Uzumaki," Kiba said with a grin.

"Bring it on Inuzuka!" Naruto bellowed with a laugh.

"I'll see you guys later," Kiba said, giving them all a nod. He paused as he got to Naruto and Hinata. "Hey, you better take care of her, alright?"

Naruto put his arms behind his head and looked at Kiba with a slight frown. "I feel like people don't trust me with this," Naruto said, his eyes shut and a small frown on his face.

"Maybe because it took you _years_ to even _acknowledge_ Hinata." Kiba laughed and Hinata looked away, her cheeks pink. Kiba's protectiveness was welcome but she couldn't help but feel a bit flustered and embarrassed.

"Kiba-kun…" she said softly.

Naruto glanced at the woman next to him. She avoided his gaze and he sighed. "I resent that," he said, referring to Kiba's previous statement. "Better late than never?"

"Never late is better but I'm sure you can make up for the lost time," Kiba said with a wink. He left the two blushing ninjas behind him, laughing as Akamaru bound off into the growing darkness.

As soon as Kiba and Akamaru disappeared from view Naruto turned to Hinata and scratched his head, looking at her with a nervous smile. "Now what?" he asked.

"Um…well…I guess I'll be heading back the to Hyuga compound," Hinata said, pressing her fingers together.

Naruto noticed she was feeling a bit uncomfortable and groaned. "Stupid Kiba!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata said with a gasp.

Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. "Shino said he did all that on purpose…"

"That is correct."

The two whipped around and saw the said ninja lurking about.

"Oh…Shino…" Naruto said, scratching his cheek. "I didn't realize you were still here."

Shino said nothing but Hinata knew how he would take it, just like before. He was silent for a while. "Well, I'm glad you two have returned safely," Shino said. "And Naruto don't fret over what Kiba said," the Aburame continued, starting to walk away. "Also, as he said, take care of Hinata."

They waved goodbye and Naruto dropped his arm slowly. "Your team is…"

"Weird?" Hinata said, thinking of what he said he had considered her on the training ground years ago.

"Yea," Naruto said with a shrug. "Buy why're you saying that like it's a bad thing?" She smiled at him gratefully. He took her hand into his once again and started walking. "Well, c'mon then. To the Hyuga Compound," Naruto said. He glanced down at her, looking happy. "Mind if we take the long way?"

She smiled broadly, eyes shut. "Not at all!"

* * *

Naruto and Hinata could see the twinkling lights of the Hyuga Compound in the distance. They arrived at Hinata's home just as the sun was sinking below the horizon. Faint moving shadows darted about as a few Hyuga walked the grounds some distance away. Before they arrived at the entranceway Naruto grabbed hold of her by the waist and gave her a quick kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked with a giggle.

"Well you once told me I don't have to ask for permission to kiss you," he said with a sheepish grin.

Hinata blushed. "That's true."

"And I think that's what people do," Naruto said, chuckling. "Give a kiss goodbye or something."

"Sounds about right," Hinata said, playing with the zipper of his jacket.

"My offer stands, ya know…" he said, his voice low. She looked at him in confusion. "You're welcome at my house," he explained. "For anything. Someone's chasing you? Come right over, I'll protect you."

She giggled. "You don't think I can protect myself Naruto-kun?"

"Oh, I have no doubt you can," he said. "But helps boost my ego, ya know?" he gave her another soft kiss. "Tired after a mission?" he said, continuing with his reasons. "Take a nap at my place. Need to borrow some sugar? I'm sure I have some stored somewhere." Hinata gave a tinkling laugh, shaking her head. "Bored? Maybe I can entertain you. Hungry? I probably have some ramen somewhere." He grinned, watching her laugh softly. "Miss me? You know where I am. No reason? That's fine. Come on over anyway."

"Hm," Hinata said, pretending to think. "Those sound like appropriate reasons."

"Mmhm," Naruto said, gently pushing her against a tree hidden in the shadows. "I thought so too." He placed his lips on hers as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his jacket. He held her waist firmly, tilting his head as he brushed their lips together. This satisfying feeling he got feeling Hinata squirm beneath him and tasting her skin left him wanting more. He knew he should stop before he got too overly excited. He trailed his kisses along her jaw and she turned her head slightly as his lips moved down to her neck.

"N-Naruto-kun," she stuttered. "Someone might see."

"No one's around," he said, his hot breath against her skin making her shiver.

"The Hyuga…" she said with a purr. "Byakugan…"

Naruto reluctantly pulled his mouth away from her with a groan. "You're right," he said, giving her a quick peck on her lips before peeling himself off of her. "As always." She giggled. "Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Do you _want _to see me tomorrow?" she inquired.

"You ask that like it's a question," he said with a chuckle. She smiled and started towards her home. "Tomorrow!" he shouted. He heard her laugh and left only after he saw her enter the compound.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki craved ramen. So here he was, heading to Ichiraku Ramen as usual. It was some time in the afternoon and after the war Hinata and himself got into a habit of meeting there around lunchtime every few days and he wondered if she remembered. As the shop got closer he saw a familiar face slip through the curtains. He grinned.

She remembered.

He followed her inside and saw her chatting amiably with Teuchi and Ayame.

"Ah, speak of the devil," Teuchi said, wiping some bowls with a rag.

Naruto greeted them cheerfully and gave Hinata a quick kiss on her cheek as she turned around.

"Finally!" Ayame exclaimed as she watched their interaction.

Hinata blushed but Naruto just grinned, seating himself next to his girlfriend. "Two of our usual please!" he shouted, holding up two fingers.

"Loud as always," Teuchi said with a chuckle, throwing some noodles into boiling water.

The couple ate slowly, laughing and chatting with the owners as minutes ticked by. Naruto had ordered himself a few more bowls claiming he had to eat _vegetables_ during the mission. Time passed by without them noticing and soon the two found themselves walking the streets of Konoha once again.

"Where are we going?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Dunno," Naruto said, his arms crossed behind his head. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter to me," she said sweetly.

Naruto thought to himself and then smiled. "I'm going to buy you something."

Hinata looked surprised and shook her head. "Oh no, Naruto-kun, you don't have to buy me anything!"

"But I want to," he said, grabbing hold of her hand and dragging her in the direction of a pastry shop. "I'm going to get you something you really like."

"B-But-" Hinata stuttered.

"Cinnamon rolls!"

He pushed her into the cozy little shop, smelling of brown sugar, and walls adorned with shelves holding beautifully decorated sweets.

"Ah, Hinata-san!" Naruto heard a strangers voice say.

Naruto peeked over Hinata's shoulder and saw a brown haired man around their age he guessed at the register. "You know him?" Naruto whispered into her ear.

She nodded and walked towards the counter, smiling broadly. She greeted the man whose name Naruto didn't bother to catch. Naruto looked at the pastries on display as the two caught up. Hinata called him over and introduced him to the freckle faced, glasses wearing, and _kind_ of attractive guy Naruto thought.

"This is my friend," Hinata said.

"Yup," the brunet said, smiling kindly at Naruto. "Hinata-san here would always come and buy the cinnamon rolls my mother baked when we were younger. We've been friends ever since!"

"That's nice," Naruto said, not unkindly but a little bit stiffly. "That's exactly what we came here for."

"Cinnamon rolls?" the man asked with a laugh. "Of course! Two?"

Naruto nodded mutely, paid for the rolls and dragged Hinata back outside into the surprisingly warm weather, even though snow still lay on the ground.

"I never thought you had friends outside of…well Team 8 and stuff," Naruto said between bites of the gooey cinnamon roll.

Hinata didn't know whether to be offended or not. She just laughed, shaking her head. "Naruto-kun, I do talk to other people," she said, smiling. "I'm sure you've made many acquaintances and friends while on missions."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess so."

"You're very…" Hinata looked at the ground.

"…I'm very…?" Naruto pried.

"You're very protective."

Naruto blinked. Then he started laughing. "Well, yeah!" he exclaimed. "Hinata you're much more than a friend, of course I'm protective." Hinata blushed. "Actually I think I've always had at least a small protective feeling for you ever since the chunin exams. Ever since you told me I was a proud failure or maybe with your fight with Neji."

Hinata felt her breath catch in her throat. "I never knew," she said.

"I guess I never really thought about it much either back then," Naruto said. "But yea, I realize I can be a bit protective."  
Hinata giggled. "I like it."

"Good," he said, grinning. "You're going to have to get used to it." They had finished up their cinnamon rolls and Naruto leaned in and gave her a kiss on her lips. "Mm, sweet," he said, making her go red. Suddenly he looked very aware. "Let's go!" he said, grabbing her by the arm and tugging her towards the Hokage Monument.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelped, as she ran along beside him. "Why-what-?"

"You'll see! I'm making a claim!"

As soon as they reached the top Hinata waited towards the back as Naruto bounded towards the very tip. "Claim? Naruto-kun, what're you doing?" Hinata asked gently.

Naruto didn't say anything and instead faced the village. "KONOHA!" he yelled causing Hinata to squeak in surprise as birds left their perches and flew into the sky. "I, NARUTO UZUMAKI…AM IN LOVE WITH HINATA HYUGA!" he roared, arms on his waist, smiling proudly. He laughed to himself and turned to see Hinata's reaction and saw her lying on the ground. "Oh no," Naruto cried, jumping beside the fainted Hyuga. "Aw man… Hinata," he said, smiling slightly and chuckling. He gathered her in his arms and headed towards a close friends house. _Been a while since she fainted because of me,_ he thought to himself with a laugh.

* * *

"What did you do to her _now_, Naruto?" Sakura asked with a groan when she opened her apartment door and saw her teammate holding an unconscious Hyuga in her arms.

"Well you heard his little confession," a familiar voice said from behind Sakura.

Naruto invited himself in and lay Hinata down gently on Sakura's couch. "What're you doing here Sasuke-teme?"

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled, sitting down on a chair with his legs out and arms crossed.

"Never mind that," Sakura said, feeling Hinata's forehead. "Naruto, I think you killed her."

"WHAT?" Naruto asked frantically.

"I'm joking, you idiot," Sakura said, rolling her eyes and letting out a huff of laughter. She moved away from the couch towards the direction of the kitchen to get water for when the Hyuga came to. "She just fainted. She's fine."

Naruto looked relieved and sat on the floor, leaning against the couch Hinata was on.

"How was the mission dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"We failed," Naruto stated, picking up a brightly wrapped candy from a small, decorative bowl on the table in front of him.

"What did you do?" Sakura asked suspiciously, coming back with a clean glass of water and placing it on the coffee table.

"Whadya mean, what did _I _do?" Naruto asked, cheeks bulging from the round sweet. "Nothing. Hinata got in some trouble so I helped."

"Sure…"

"Really!"

Sakura laughed. "So what happens now?"  
"A new team was sent out," Naruto grumbled. Naruto hesitated, picking at the candy wrapper. "And the White Kunai Killer said he wants Hinata."

"What?" Sakura asked, eyes sharp. Even Sasuke raised an eyebrow in interest. "We _are_ talking about that infamous rapist right?"

"Yes_…_" Naruto growled.

"And he wants Hinata," Sakura continued.

"_Yes._"

"And you're okay with that?"

Naruto looked at her like she was crazy. "Why would I be okay with that?"

Sakura leaned away from the ninja who looked irritated. "I mean at least you guys are back now. So no worries right?"

"I guess…" Naruto said with a sigh. "We really wanted to catch him though. But you're right."

"Course I am," Sakura said teasingly.

Naruto laughed and Sasuke, who said nothing throughout the conversation, harrumphed.

Soon Hinata stirred and Naruto turned and stared down at her as she slowly opened her eyes.

Hinata saw blue. Lots and lots of blue.

"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, his face just inches away from hers.

"Naruto, get away from her!" Hinata heard a recognizable voice.

She realized she wasn't alone. She sat up and looked around nervously. She saw orange, pink, and black. She blushed. _How embarrassing!_ She was basically knocked out while they were all here. _Oh well…I'm sure they've seen me faint before._

"Hinata, you feeling alright?" Sakura asked gently. "Stupid Naruto surprised you didn't he?"

"I…I'm fine," Hinata said. "And he did surprise me…but…it was a very nice surprise."

Naruto grinned. "Sorry Hinata," he said with a laugh.

"Dobe…" Sasuke muttered.

"Don't know how you handle him, Hinata," Sakura said with a smirk.

"I-I mean it hasn't been long-" Hinata started to say.

"Hear that," Sasuke said, "She's not planning on staying forever."

Naruto looked at Sasuke surprised. "Listen Sasuke-teme-"

"Boys…" Sakura mumbled, smiling at Hinata who just giggled, starting to feel a bit more comfortable.

Sakura invited them to stay for dinner at her apartment and so they did. The four attempted to make food together and it was…interesting to say the least. Surprisingly Naruto and Sasuke weren't that bad in the kitchen. Hinata felt very relaxed while cooking and ended up taking charge. Sasuke was very helpful, having lived alone he picked up a thing or two. Naruto was…capable…but he was only _really_ good at boiling water, not surprising considering all he ate was ramen, but Hinata didn't tell him so. Sakura wasn't very good and frankly her teammates were scared to see her in the kitchen, and they kept mumbling things about her medicine balls or pills which Hinata didn't understand.

After an hour or two, a few small fires, a couple spills, and broken plates, the four sat down to eat a nice homemade dinner. The conversations were mainly led by Naruto and Sakura. Hinata commented a few times but Sasuke mostly grunted throughout the feast. Either way it was a surprisingly comfortable and fun event and Sakura eagerly invited them to come again.

Sometime later Naruto and Hinata were at the door, about to leave.

"I'm glad you guys returned home safely!" Sakura called, waving goodbye.

The couple waved back and Naruto wrapped an arm around Hinata's waist as they left. "Nice to be back," Naruto said with a smile.

What they didn't know was that they wouldn't be here long.

* * *

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Fox**

**"**_When I was kissing Hinata, _he said quickly before the fox could interrupt him again. _I went all…jinchuuriki! _

**_And?_**

_AND? _Naruto bellowed. _AND I COULD HAVE KILLED HER"_


	14. Chapter 13- Fox

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

* * *

_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 13- Fox**

* * *

_Kurama, _Naruto said in his head as he lay in bed. He retreated into his mind and arrived in the room where his friend lay.

_**What do you want kit? **_The nine-tails responded grumpily, opening one eye to glance at him. _**I was trying to sleep.**_

_What was that before? _Naruto asked a bit nervously.

_**What are you going on about? **_The fox asked, yawning.

_Before…when I was with Hinata…_

Naruto went silent and Kurama waited for him to say more. _**Continue…?**_

Naruto sighed. _When I was…kissing Hinata…Oh man, this is so weird. Talking about this with you._

_**Ah, **_Kurama said with a shrewd laugh. _**When you were getting intimate with your mate.**_

Naruto felt himself go red and Kurama gave a bellowing laugh looking at the frazzled look on his containers face. _What do mean _mate_?_

_**Mate. Like your companion. One of a pair. Your sexual partner. The one you will copulate with. The one you will breed with. The one you'll be connected with.**_

Naruto paled the more Kurama went on. _Okay! OKAY! That's enough. Oh my god. _

_**So what were you saying? **_Kurama asked, his face turned towards Naruto. _**And why didn't you ask me about this before?**_

_I dunno! I was busy I guess. _Naruto sighed and continued with his question. _When I was kissing Hinata-_

_**Looked like much more than kissing.**_

_Kurama! _Naruto exclaimed, rubbing his temple with his fingers. _I'm blushing in my _mind_! I think I'm going to go crazy._

Kurama let out a deep, throaty laugh, hot air from his snout blowing Naruto's hair back. _**Why are you embarrassed? I've seen worse.**_

_It's just weird, okay? _Naruto huffed, crossing his arms and pouting at the nine-tails.

_**Go on, Kit.**_

Naruto grumbled but continued nonetheless. _When I was kissing Hinata, _he said quickly before the fox could interrupt him again. _I went all…jinchuuriki! _

_**And?**_

_AND? _Naruto bellowed. _AND I COULD HAVE KILLED HER. _

_**I highly doubt that, **_Kurama said, nestling his head into his arms. _**Now let me sleep.**_

_Kurama! _Naruto yelled, poking the beast. _Kurama this is serious! Hinata-_

_**You're serious about this vixen?**_

_You better not be calling her names, _Naruto said threateningly. _And yes. Yes. I'm serious about Hinata._

Kurama stared at the young man before him. _**I am not calling her names. **_

Naruto narrowed his eyes but sighed. _Kurama, tell me though. Please. What was that?_

_**That was not me. **_

_What do you mean that wasn't you? _Naruto exclaimed. _My eyes went red and my _claws, he spit out the word like a curse, _scratched Hinata! Your powers influenced me!_

_**My **_**powers,**_** maybe, but this was not because of me.**_

_I don't understand._

_**Think about it. **_

_Kurama!_

_**Little Naruto…ignorant as always, **_the beast said, exhaling into Naruto's face. Naruto made a gagging sound and frowned at the nine-tails. He could have sworn the fox was teasing him.

_Kurama, please. I don't want to hurt her. _His thoughts went back to how he had injured his friends before when the power of the nine-tails overwhelmed him. He had hurt Sakura and even Pervy sage. And it wasn't as bad as it could have been but he also scratched Hinata. _I thought I gained control over this._

_**Foolish kit. You do have control.**_

_Then why-_

_**Think back to that battle with…Pain was it? **_

_What about it?_

_**The vixen, Hinata, attempted to save your life, am I correct? **_

_Yes, _Naruto said looking sad. _How can I forget? That was the first time anyone told me they loved me. And then…_s_he was stabbed. She almost died._

_**You tapped into my power that day…even after you vowed you wouldn't.**_

_That's not fair, _Naruto defended. _She was hurt. I was confused. I was angry. I was sad. It was too much. I needed to protect her._

_**I am not blaming anyone. But think of what I'm trying to tell you. You used my powers. Who did you hurt?**_

_Pain._

_**And?**_

Naruto furrowed his brow, thinking. _Just Pain?_

_**I believe so, **_Kurama continued. _**Your mate was there and even though you ripped apart the ground in anger she remained unharmed. Unharmed by you.**_

_That could have been a coincident. I didn't hurt anyone else either._

_**That's because a little part of you, subconsciously or not…even while you were completely drowned in my chakra and power, didn't want to hurt them. You **_**turned**_** to protect them. To get revenge. Your pain and anger at the sight of her bleeding body pushed you over the edge but a small part of you still hung on. **_

_I don't-_

_**Naruto, you need to understand. One of the reasons you instinctively tapped into my powers was to protect her. You may have even thought she was dead but that didn't stop you did it? Your emotions overwhelmed you. Tell me, how did you feel while you were intimate with your mate?**_

Naruto blushed at the word mate but tried to ignore that. _I dunno. I felt good I guess._

Kurama chuckled. _**I'm sure you felt a little more than good if your emotions were high enough to connect with my chakra.**_

_So what're you trying to say? _Naruto asked impatiently, feeling the heat on his face.

_**You will not hurt her. Not if you don't want to. **_

_But will I still go all…all beast mode?_

Kurama was silent. _**I doubt it. The things you felt were new and, as I said before, overwhelming. And, **_Kurama sounded a bit miffed at this. _**You have learned to control me. You can control this too. And **_**maybe**_** I'll help keep the powers at bay when you are…busy. **_

Naruto grinned and held out his fist towards the fox. _Thanks a lot Kurama! _

The nine-tails grumbled but still touched his fist to Naruto's.

The jinchuuriki slept better that night.

* * *

A few days passed since the trio returned to the Hidden Leaf and Naruto had his conversation with Kurama. Naruto and Hinata spent a lot of their time together, hardly ever seeing Ino. They were getting settled into a regular routine now that they were back home, thoughts of their old mission fading into the recesses of their minds.

Unfortunately Lady Tsunade had just received some bad news.

The Hokage let out a frustrated sigh. "Get me Ino Yamanaka, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Hyuga!" she barked. "Now!"

* * *

_Last Night in the Village of Ash_

"How about her," she whispered, pointing at a thin, black haired women carrying grocery bags down the emptying streets.

"Well we don't have much to choose from anymore," the man said half-heartedly.

"I don't get why you're doing this," she said, remembering how he had left many nights, leaving her behind. She felt as though he made some kills without her but she was unsure. _Did he? Why wouldn't he tell me? I have _some _ninja skills, _she thought to herself with a huff. _Maybe he was doing something else…_

"I'm picking women out."

"Okay so, what about her?"

"She'll have to do," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The man beside her shrugged. "She kind of looks like a fox," he said. "Her nose is very pointy."

"I think she looks foxy," the woman said cheerfully, winking and elbowing the man.

He rolled his eyes but let out a gruff chuckle. "I think she'll be enough."

The woman nodded, satisfied, and leaned against the ledge of the rooftop they were hunkered down on. "So tell me again…why are we doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Doing _this_," she said, indicating to the unaware, sharp-nosed woman down below. "I mean you changed up your entire game."

"Things change," he quoted.

"But-but…" the woman said looking disappointed. "You had a specific _style_. Some flare! And now…?"

"Don't worry about that," the man said, sinking down beside her. "This will be just as dramatic as before."

"But it's been _days_!" she whined.

"Patience."

"Patience my _ass!_" she exclaimed. "Some things have been delayed that I'm grateful for, don't get me wrong. But…" she said, looking excited, a shiny glint in her eyes. "But this can be a lot of fun."

The man chuckled. "You don't even do much."

"I don't know if I should be offended."

He shook his head. "No, that's a good thing. I don't want you to get your hands dirty."

"I think I already have some dirt on them," she said playfully, wiping her hands on his now black outfit. The man said nothing and she pouted. "So when are you going to get her?"

"I have time."

"But she's going around the corner," the woman said, turning to look at the streets. "We might lose her!"

The man was pleased by her concern. "Fine, I'll go in a minute or two."

"And this is going to get _her_ back?"

"It should," he said roughly. "I'm sure they won't appreciate what they will find soon enough."

The woman smiled. "So what are you going to do with them all?"

"Make a statement," he declared, standing up.

"That sounds interesting," the woman said, giggling. She watched the man cross the rooftop, his eyes trained on his naïve victim below. "Good, because it's been too long I think. People might start to feel at ease again and that means things will start running like normal." She frowned, thinking about something. "I can't have that. _I can't_."

He nodded in understanding. "Don't worry," he said. "This might change things."

The woman scrambled up from her spot and went over to where the man was standing in the shadows. She watched the hook nosed woman walk rapidly with her grocery bags. "We'll get that fox," she said calmly.

"Yes," he said, his voice cold. "And then _she _will come back."

* * *

_Now_

Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards the training grounds. As he saw the _previously_ grassy plain now covered in light, melting patches of snow and ice in view he slowed down his pace. He saw a familiar spot of purple over at the wooden posts and stopped completely, hiding in the bushes.

Hinata was hitting the posts with fervor and unbeknownst to the shinobi hidden behind her, she had her Byakugan activated. She had seen him coming a long time ago. They had planned on meeting at the training grounds the day before for a friendly duel. Hinata continued beating the post, pretending not to have noticed yet. She saw him shift and cross his legs together and she realized he was gathering his chakra.

_Sage mode?_ Hinata thought to herself. _Oh no._

She quickly pivoted on the spot and threw several shuriken and kunai towards the bushes her boyfriend was trying to meditate in. As she predicted, he dodged them easily but his concentration was disrupted and that was exactly what she was aiming for.

"Aw Hinata," Naruto said, jumping out of the bushes and into the open field some distance away from his girlfriend. "You didn't let me finish," he said, smirking.

"That would be counterproductive on my part, wouldn't it?" she asked with a small smile, arms out in the traditional Hyuga style.

"I'm gonna win, Hinata!" Naruto said, making hand signs to create his shadow clones. Half a dozen appeared in puffs of smoke and Hinata gave him a little frown.

"Naruto-kun, are you going easy on me?" she asked. She realized he was only doing this so he wouldn't injure her so she feigned hurt. "Do you really consider me that incapable?"

Naruto opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "What- No, of course not." With that said he created a score of shadow clones. "That better?"

"It'll do," she said teasingly.

Suddenly she noticed glints of flying objects in the air heading towards her. She straightened her back and quite easily defended herself against the flying projectiles using her self-made protection jutsu. As she was preoccupied with those weapons Naruto commanded his clones to try and stop her. Previously, the Hyuga stood in one spot to practically create a protective hemisphere but with the clones invading the bubble she was forced to move. She utilized her great flexibility and weaved herself around the shuriken and kunai while sending jabs of chakra filled punches at Naruto's clones.

As his clones disappeared in poofs of smoke, Naruto tried incorporating their memories into how he was going to take Hinata down. He considered Nine-Tails Chakra mode and even Tailed Beast mode but decided he'd rather they not destroy the training grounds _too_ much. He watched her move smoothly, dodging most of his attacks. A few of his clones made contact but she quickly retaliated by hitting them in their pressure points, making their arms useless. Naruto smiled. He'd have to kick it up a notch.

Hinata noticed a change in the clones. They seemed more determined and suddenly the onslaught of shuriken and kunai ceased. She narrowed her eyes, taking out a few more of Naruto's clones. Suddenly she sensed a spike in chakra. She frantically looked up and saw several Naruto's coming down on her, their palms filled with blue, spinning balls of chakra. _Rasengan!_ She thought, quickly jumping back as the first clone thrust his hand towards her. The rasengan made contact with the ground causing a small crater to form. Chunks of dirt, snow, and ice flew up and she blinked rapidly, trying to remove the grit from her eyes. She had no time to rest as more of the clones headed towards her.

Naruto was impressed. The number of his clones was thinning down. She used the wooden posts as handholds to dodge his rasengan attacks. She jumped from post to post and swung down landing a well-placed kick on top of one of the clone's head, making him vanish in a poof of smoke. Her breathing was steady and she turned to face the lone Naruto with her arms raised.

Naruto furrowed his brows, grinned and took a deep breath. Without breaking a sweat he created a gross of shadow clones. Hinata's eyes widened and she quickly measured up the clones in her mind. There were clearly more than a hundred. She faltered but remained poised and composed.

They stampeded towards her and she hopped down from the wooden post. "Eight trigrams vacuum palm!" she exclaimed, pushing much of the snow and many of the clones away. She did that several times and in her head she knew Naruto wasn't doing the very best he could. She did fight many people at the same time during the war so she knew she could handle a couple of shadow clones; and in just a few minutes she had eliminated all of Naruto's copies.

The cloud of smoke slowly started to disappear and she darted her eyes around in search of Naruto but was surprised to see he wasn't there. She narrowed her eyes and took a step back warily. She felt very faint vibrations under her feet and glanced down.

Naruto burst out of the ground, just as he did when he fought Neji during the Chunin exams, and punched Hinata in the stomach. He was surprised she didn't jump away and watched in horror when she coughed blood and he felt her ribs crack.

Then…she vanished and in her place was a block of wood. _Substitution…_ He let out a sigh of relief before sensing something behind him. Hinata ran towards him, her hands blazing with blue chakra in the shape of lions. Naruto was quickly thrown into the defensive as he tried to parry and block her blows. Bits of ice and snow flew up as they continued their brawl, Hinata now on the offensive. Her hair flew every which way and his eyes were sharp, watching her every move. Veins bulged around Hinata's eyes as she aimed at his chakra points but the two had sparred together after the war many times and they'd come to understand the others way of fighting.

He smirked as he avoided most of her hits. "What's wrong, Hinata?" he mocked, laughing. "Can't touch me?"

Her face was a mask of concentration as she formed small chakra needles and aimed them specifically at Naruto's right arm. Naruto grimaced as she hit her mark, his arm now hanging useless. "No more rasengan," she said with a smile, breathing heavily. "No more seals." Naruto had jumped back, skidding slightly in the snow. They were eyeing each other from afar.

Naruto attempted to move his arm but found it very difficult. "Smart move," he said. "Think you can win?"

"Yes," she said confidently. She was determined to improve. She wanted to win this fight against Naruto to help herself feel better about her devastating loss against Okami.

He smiled. "Well come get me then." Hinata's lion fists had dissipated and she didn't move. She placed her feet firmly on the ground and put up her arms in the Gentle Fist stance. Naruto grinned mischievously. "Didn't you notice some of those kunai I threw were special?" he asked teasingly. Hinata remained passive. Naruto waved goodbye with his one good hand and disappeared in a flash.

Hinata smiled. Oh, she noticed. She whipped around, predicted where the orange ninja would show up, and sent her arm flying with well aimed jabs just as Naruto popped into existence. Naruto opened his eyes in surprise but wasted no time weaving around her and attacking back. He cursed his useless arm as she got a few more hits in, none that bad fortunately for him. He had given her a few bruises and she was starting to look tired but she wasn't ready to give up. Sure he had much more chakra to use but Hinata was ready for that. She tried to block a few more of his chakra points but he had practiced fighting against a Hyuga.

Eventually he gained the upper hand. Hinata was beginning to tire from their sparring but she was determined to do well. Now they were practically equal, both their blocking and attacking rates at equilibrium. Neither wanted to really harm the other but neither wanted to lose. Little fogs came to life as they exhaled, their warm breath mixing with the frigid air. The snow on the ground was kicked up off the earth and each step they took, they took precariously. Both ninjas were smiling, enjoying this duel.

"Can't beat me Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed. "I got _the _Nine-tailed fox on my side!" Suddenly Naruto's cheerful expression changed to one of shock as he felt his foot slip in the ice. He yelped as his foot flew up and he lost his balance, his body heading towards the ground. In the short time this occurred he shot out his arm and took hold of anything near him…in this case that would be Hinata. Hinata squeaked, just as surprised as he was, as they went tumbling into the snow and dirt. Naruto groaned when his head made contact with the ground and Hinata clung to his jacket, still stunned. "I think I lost…" Naruto moaned, allowing his head to drop in the snow. He lay sprawled on the ground, his arms sticking out flat against the ground as if he were going to make snow angels, and Hinata lay on top of him.

Hinata giggled and just as she was about to roll off him they heard someone clear their throat. Both turned their heads quickly and saw none other than Ino staring down at them some feet away. "Um," she said, looking at them with raised eyebrows and a big, awkward smile. "Am I interrupting?"

Hinata turned red and quickly jumped off of Naruto, shuffling her feet. Naruto got up slowly and just grinned at the newcomer. "We were just training, Ino-san," Hinata said quietly.

Ino laughed. "Sure, sure. _That's_ the reason you're all out of breath."

Hinata's blush intensified but Naruto just laughed. "Come on Ino, stop teasing!" he said.

Ino smiled but then her face became serious. "I had to come get you two." They looked at her puzzled. "Tsunade asked for us," she went on with a sigh. "I think it's about the White Kunai Killer."

* * *

Feedback has been declining lately which is slightly upsetting. Thanks to those who show me support!

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

* * *

Up Next: **Feel**

"They were both naked from the waist up and this thought made her feel as though she were blushing _everywhere_. With the courage she felt bloom within her, she moved her hands down to the waistband of his orange pants and tugged."


	15. Chapter 14- Feel

Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.

Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the _idea_ I wrote about).

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_**White Kunai**_

**Chapter 14- Feel**

* * *

Naruto, Hinata and Ino stood once again in Tsunades office, wary of what was to come. Tsunade stared at them each, one by one. Hinata looked nervous but curious and her eyes seemed hardened by bad memories. Ino had a frown on her face and looked stiff. She knew what happened. Naruto was confused but his facial expression showed he was ready for anything.

"I have some bad news," the Hokage said. She waited for them to say something and surprisingly none did. Even Naruto was oddly attentive. "All seemed to be going relatively well in the Village of Ash," she said. "The new team stationed there heard of no new rape victims and the killer hadn't made any known appearances." She paused. "But last night a group of young women were found massacred in that abandoned area of town _you_, Hinata, had your encounter with that group of men."

Hinata looked distraught. Ino and Naruto looked surprised.

"Wait," Naruto said, waving his hands. "Women were found _massacred_? What's _that_ supposed to mean exactly?"

"Half a dozen women were found lined up on the ground in that empty area you fought Okami," Tsunade explained. "Curiously enough…none had signs of being raped. But all had a white kunai stuck through their hearts, as did the other people who fell victim to the White Kunai Killer." The trio looked disgusted. "I don't know if this is of importance really," Tsunade said with a sigh. "But one of the six women had a little note attached to her kunai. It read, "_Foxy"_ with a little heart next to it."

Naruto and Ino raised their eyebrows. Hinata's mind immediately went to the killers partner she heard in her dream. Before she had a chance to say anything Ino piped up. "Sounds like that woman," Ino said, nodding at Hinata. "The partner."

"Hm," Tsunade said, thinking. "Most likely."

"Wait so why'd he kill them?" Naruto inquired. "I thought he normally…well…raped women and _then_ killed them?"

Tsunade sighed and glanced at Hinata. "He left another note." The Hokage grimaced. "He left it in the snow. Cliché. A red note. Written using blood."

"That monster," Ino said with a gasp. Ino had constantly been at Tsunade's heels to continue being updated on the course of the Village of Ash mission so she was quite knowledgeable on what went on with the other group sent out. She'd been helpful on giving the Hokage information that they'd gathered from recon. She had also been trying to accomplish something else.

"What did it say?" Naruto asked. Hinata stayed quiet throughout the ordeal. She had a sinking feeling she knew what it said.

"_Bring us Hinata or you'll see more than just six_." Tsuande said grimly.

"Why are they so suddenly obsessed with Hinata?" Naruto asked, outraged.

Tsunade's eyebrows knit together. "Not sure but Ino here says she has a suspicion that Hinata's met them."

"But I was practically with her the entire mission!" Naruto exclaimed. "Everyone she's met, I've met!"

"Well for some reason Hinata left an impression."

"So what now?" Naruto asked with a huff.

"We go to the Village of Ash." It was Hinata who said this. The entire time she was in the office she had looked wary and nervous with only a dash of confidence but now, Tsunade noted with a smile, her eyes were hard and her body language stiff. She was angry. She was determined. "We catch this murderer _and_ his accomplice. We turn them in or they die in the process." She was ready.

Her partners looked at her in surprise but Tsunade briskly got up from her seat looking proud. "That's the spirit!" she said. "Good, because Ino had been at my back these last few days trying to get a new mission assigned to you three." Hinata and Naruto glanced at Ino who just smiled a bit nervously. "She kept pressing the fact that your previous mission was a _covert _one and since you failed that one you were available for new missions. The recent team that was sent out to the Village is returning because I _am_ assigning a new assignment." The three straightened, standing at attention. "Your new mission will simply be to capture or kill the White Kunai Killer. No need to disguise yourselves. No need to lure him into a trap." Tsunade shook her head. "No, this mission will be more dangerous. They want Hinata? We will give them Hinata. I trust you three will be able to figure this out, put it into action _and_ _successfully_ accomplish what we need to get done?"

"Yes, Hokage!" they said together.

"Good," Tsunade said with a stiff nod. "The killer also hung little notes from the kunai's in the women's chests. Some were unimportant," she said, thinking of the note with the heart, "but others read: "_You have a week." "We will know if she's here." "_We_ will get her when _we _think it's time." "We will not appear if we feel there are too many of you. Consider well." "If _we_ do not appear…if _she_ does not appear…bodies will."_

Ino shivered. "Gruesome."

"I'd advise you three leave sometime tomorrow or the day after," Tsunade said. "You do have a week to show up in the village but…why keep him waiting," she said sourly. "And who knows what he'll do within the week…"

"We'll leave sometime tomorrow in the afternoon," Ino stated for the three of them. "That'll give us enough time to rest up and prepare and we also won't waste too much time that way. We'll run to the village. No need to pretend to be normal civilians and walk. I'm sure you have hotel rooms for us?"

Tsunade nodded, pleased with the way the kunoichi took charge. "Same one as before only because I'm positive the killer knows who you are now and, as the notes indicated, you _will_ be watched. They _will_ come for Hinata and you are no longer hiding so…actually those rooms would be perfect."

"Great back to that horrible place," Naruto mumbled. "But I'm real glad we get to just go in there, chakra blazing!"

Ino laughed. "Yeah, I don't think covert is really your style."

"Too impulsive and loud," Tsunade said with a smile.

Naruto groaned. "Why do you guys gang up on me?"

"I think he would do fine if he tried," Hinata piped up.

Naruto looked at her gratefully. "_See._ She thinks I can do it."

"Well, statistically, someone has to," Ino said with a smirk.

Naruto grumbled and the women on his team laughed. "Alright, alright. That's enough," Tsunade said, hiding a smile. "We have more serious things at hand."

"Exactly why we need some laughs!" Ino exclaimed.

"Yea, but not at _my _expense!" Naruto said with a pout.

Tsunade chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't have anything else to say. I wouldn't be sending you out on this mission again if I weren't sure you three were capable. I don't expect you to come back scratch free but the only major casualty, if any, that I expect is the killers," she looked at them sternly. "You know what to do and you know how to do it, I'm sure. Good luck. You're free to go."

Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, throwing his arms behind his head. "Well, back to the Village of Ash."

Ino headed towards the door giving them a brief wave goodbye. "I'll see you guys at the gate tomorrow afternoon!" she said. "I'm going to start preparing and thinking about what's to be done."

When the door shut behind her Naruto glanced at Hinata. "Ya know, she's not that bad."

Hinata giggled. "You mean you aren't scared of her anymore?"

"Oh, she can still be scary," Naruto said with a chuckle. "But we make a good team, don't you think?"

"I think you do," Tsunade said from behind them. "Now go on. Don't you have things to do?"

"Okay, okay Granny Tsunade," he said, taking hold of Hinata's hand and heading down the same way Ino did. "Expect us back by the end of the week!" he said confidently.

"I'll hold you to that," the Hokage said as the door slammed shut.

* * *

"Naruto-kun, will you cut these onions?" Hinata asked, handing him the round vegetable.

"Naruto eyed the furry ends with narrowed eyes. "It has hair."

Hinata turned from the stove and looked at him with a smile. "You have to peel it." She gave a small laugh and took the onions from him. "Stir what's on the stove please. I'll peel these and then give them to you to chop."

Naruto did as he was told. He was glad Hinata came over to make dinner for them both. After they left Tsunade's office, Hinata headed back to the Hyuga Compound to inform her father about her new mission. An hour or so later there was a knock on his door and when he opened it he saw Hinata standing at his doorstep with bags filled with groceries.

"Hinata," Naruto whined a few minutes later, turning to face the Hyuga with watery eyes. "I don't think I like onions." He sniffed and wiped at his eyes.

Hinata laughed and took the roughly chopped onions from him and added it to the ingredients cooking on the stove. "You did great, Naruto-kun."

He watched over her shoulder as she added different spices to the pot. He placed his hands on her hips and leaned over her lightly. "Smells good, Hinata."

"Thank you," she said, turning her head and giving him a light kiss on his lips. "It'll be ready soon."

"Good because I'm getting hungry," he said, nipping gently at her skin.

Hinata blushed. "Let's save that for d-dessert."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Hinata!" he said, pleasantly surprised. He let go of her waist and grabbed two plates, setting them on the table. "Well let's get to eating then!"

Hinata laughed. "Naruto-kun, it's not done yet!"

"Can I snack on you while I wait?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Hinata held back a laugh and just shook her head. After a few minutes she turned off the gas and brought the pot over to the table, ladling out the food for the both of them.

"Food's ready, Naruto-kun!" Hinata announced, taking a seat near him.

"Looks great," he said taking a big bite.

"Careful, it's hot!" Hinata said with a gasp as Naruto's eyes widened and he opened his mouth in pain.

"Tastes delicious," he mumbled, this time blowing slightly at his food. He vaguely remembered when she had made rice cakes that looked like him and that he had said she would make a great wife some day. He smiled to himself. _She really would, wouldn't she?_

Hinata thanked him and took small bites of her food. She seemed in deep thought and Naruto assumed it was because of the mission they were about to undertake the next day.

"Naruto-kun," she said. Her words were filled with nervousness but she was looking at him confidently. "We're going back to the Village of Ash tomorrow…" she trailed off, picking at her food.

"You worried about the mission?" he voiced gently.

She stared at him with a slanted smile. "I feel we're going to succeed." She hesitated. "I _know_ we're going to succeed but there's something I want to do before we leave." She seemed _really_ nervous now.

"And what's that?" Naruto asked, scooping food into his spoon.

"I…" she bit her lip and swallowed. She placed her hands in her lap, poking her fingers together and looked at him, her eyes glazed over.

Naruto placed his spoon down and tiled his head, looking at her in confusion. "Hinata?"

Hinata got out of her chair and rounded the table. Naruto leaned back in surprise as Hinata placed her hands on either side of his face and brought her lips to his.

The positioning was awkward but Naruto immediately melted into the kiss. He pushed his chair back and brought his hands to her hips. She was bending over in order to reach his lips but Naruto stood up slowly as she wrapped her arms around his head. He hooked his hands under her thighs and brought her legs to his waist. Hinata continued kissing him, her cheeks red, as Naruto seated her on the counter, their bodies pressed together.

Her kisses were desperate and as much as Naruto enjoyed what she was doing he felt he was missing something. He felt her hands on his chest as she gripped his jacket tightly. _She was nervous before?_ Hinata fumbled with the zipper of his jacket. _She was worried about something?_ Naruto felt her unzip his coat and he reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers.

"Hinata?" he said, breathing heavily. "Wait."

She froze, staring at him. Slowly she pulled her hands back to her body and looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry…"

"No…Hinata, don't be sorry," Naruto said, gently pushing her head up with a finger. "I'm just…confused…and worried. Tell me if there's anything wrong."

She took a deep breath and placed her hand over his, as he did during the war. "Naruto-kun…A lot can happen during a mission and we're going to fight against a serial rapist." She tightened her grip on his hand. "I really do believe we'll succeed but anything could go wrong." She pulled his hand down slowly, her eyes still maintaining contact with his. "I'm just trying to say…that…that I want you to be my first." She swallowed and looked away.

Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat. "Hinata…" he whispered.

"And I'm not just saying this now because of this mission!" she suddenly burst, trying to clarify. "N-no. I've wanted this. I told you this before. I _do_ want this."

Naruto smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well…I'm glad," he said, chuckling. She smiled and blushed, some of her nervousness fading away. "But…" he said slowly. Hinata looked up at him, eyes wide. He smiled at her reassuringly and ran his fingers over her legs, bringing them up to his waist once more. "Let's do this right," he said, carrying her to his bedroom.

* * *

The weather was cold outside but this went unnoticed by the two lying on the bed. Naruto kissed Hinata softly while gently removing her jacket and mesh shirt. He pressed her body to the bed with his own, both reveling at the tingling sensation they felt. She had already removed his jacket and he pulled away from her and lifted his own shirt over his head.

Hinata sat up, blushingly allowing her eyes to roam his body and Naruto smiled, watching her. She brought her fingers to his face, kissing him gently. Slowly she moved her hands down. She admired his broad shoulders, his tight muscles and thin waist. She was surprised by her own courage. She initiated the first kiss! She practically asked him to do this! Why was she so scared?

Naruto leaned forward to kiss her once again and unclipped her bra, throwing it aside. He could feel his heart beating fast and as he touched her soft skin he kept thinking how he didn't want to mess this up. This woman lying beneath him…he loved her. He wanted this to be a beautiful experience for the both of them.

Naruto moved his fingers down to the hem of her pants, his lips never leaving hers. She stiffened and the jinchuuriki pulled back, looking at her.

"Hinata, we can wait," he said softly, his breaths short.

"No," she said firmly, her pale eyes piercing into his. "I love you. I want this."

She stared into his eyes, searching for an answer. She noticed behind the glazed-over blue…there was a hint of uneasiness. She felt herself relax.

They were both nervous…and that's okay.

Hinata kissed him, trying to put as much passion as she could into the kiss. She felt Naruto wrap his arms around her tightly. Without breaking their kiss he lay her down once again on the bed, sliding his body between her legs. They were both naked from the waist up and this thought made her feel as though she were blushing _everywhere_. With the courage she felt bloom within her, she moved her hands down to the waistband of his orange pants and tugged.

She felt a vibration near her mouth and she realized Naruto was _laughing!_ She broke their kiss and looked at him, cheeks red.

"Sorry Hinata," he said, chuckling, kissing her once. "You seem very excited."

"N-Naruto-kun!" she squeaked, slightly embarrassed. She pulled her hands away, fingering the bed sheets.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," he said sweetly, trailing kisses down her jaw. "In fact, he said, his voice low. "I really like it." He gave her a grin, showing off his canines. Before she could respond he had removed his pants, throwing them haphazardly somewhere in the darkening room.

Hinata glanced at his toned legs before her eyes moved higher and higher. They stopped at his waist and she couldn't help but smile.

"Naruto-kun, you're wearing frog boxers," she said with a giggle.

This time it was Naruto's turn to blush. "Hey! I happen to _like_ frogs!" Naruto pouted, looking away.

She laughed and soon he broke too, joining her in her happiness. It felt so natural and comfortable being half naked with one another. Soon, Naruto pressed himself to her again, this time giving notice to her breasts. Hinata's breath hitched when she felt his lips on her chest. After some time he pulled away and moved his hands to her hips, pulling her pants down. She lay on the bed, breathing heavily, clad only in her panties as Naruto eyed her with a dark, passion filled look.

They knew each other for so long. This wasn't just an infatuation. He loved her and she loved him. Sometimes he just wanted to keep her all to himself and protect her from anything that could hurt her. Other times he wanted to show her off to the whole world. Out of all the things he's accomplished in his life…having her was one of the things he most cherished. He loved her. But he had some worries. Was he good enough for her? She was a Hyuga. Hinata Hyuga. What if she realized he wasn't enough one day? He would break. But seeing her beneath him, he knew that could never happen. He loved her so much it hurt. The look she gave him reassured him. She was always, and will continue to be, by his side.

Soon enough the two found themselves completely free of clothes, breathing heavily, and sharing loving kisses. Naruto admired her every curve, staring down at her pale, soft skin. He placed tender kisses on every scar, memorizing her body. He kissed her once again, his tongue in contact with hers. He inhaled sharply when he felt her touch him in a way she never did before.

"S-sorry," she stuttered, pulling her hand away from his member.

"No, Hinata," he said, smiling and taking deep breaths. "Don't be sorry," he chuckled. "It's just…if you keep touching me like that I don't think I'll last too long," he said, sounding embarrassed.

She blushed in understanding, muttering a small, "Oh."

Hinata felt Naruto's hardness at her opening and felt a pleasant tingle run through her body. His lips were on hers and his hands were massaging the skin by her thighs. She could feel his fingers, hardened and calloused from training, move softly and gently against and through her. Fingers that have killed now doing such sweet things…just for her. Suddenly Hinata felt a feeling she felt once before as her back arched up and Naruto brought her over the edge with his fingers.

Her breathing was ragged and he kissed her hard once more before pulling away, still settled between her legs.

"H-Hinata…" he said deeply. "Can I-" His eyes darted down to where their waists touched.

"Yes," she said immediately, her chest heaving.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you…" he said.

She smiled at his sensitivity. "I'll be fine."

He bit his lip before slowly pushing into her. Hinata shut her eyes as her body stretched to accommodate him. He pushed all the way in, both of them breathing heavily.

"Your barrier-?" he asked with a grunt, slightly confused.

"Many women's break through reasons other than penetration," she explained through ragged breaths. "Mine probably did during rigorous training."

"I love you, Hinata." Naruto kissed her deeply as he waited for her to signal she was ready.

The feeling of someone inside her was strange but fortunately she wasn't in intense pain. She shifted and heard Naruto hiss so she froze.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"God, no," Naruto said, pressing his forehead to hers. "I don't think I can take it anymore," he said, gritting his teeth.

She blushed and tilted her head to kiss him, telling him she was ready. Naruto pulled his hips back and thrust back in. Hinata heard that her first time could be painful but the thought of being connected with Naruto on such a level made her sigh in desire.

Naruto watched the woman underneath him writhe in pleasure as he moved in and out of her. With each thrust, memories of their different moments together flashed through his mind rapidly. _The first time she confessed her love to him._ Fog coated the windows. _The first time they held hands._ The silent night was cut by whispers of each other's names. _The first time they kissed._ He entwined his fingers with hers and pressed them above her head into the bed. He kissed her, muffling their groans momentarily.

Red graced Hinata's cheeks as she felt Naruto's lips move down and away from her mouth. She felt his teeth scrape against her skin as he sucked on her pulse point. She clung to his back, scratching it slightly, as he quickened his pace. She felt her heart beating fast and smiled as Naruto whispered sweet words into her ears in between kisses.

Hinata hooked her legs against Naruto's waist and he adjusted himself, his lips still pressed to her skin. He thrust into her once again, this time hitting a specific spot that sent a jolt of pure gratification through Hinata's body. Hinata cried out in pleasure, blushing intensely. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, trying to stifle her quiet moans but failed as he hit that spot over and over again.

Naruto groaned, kissing her slick skin, at both the feeling he got as he moved inside of her and at hearing _her_ cry out so happily. He heard her whispering his name as she hissed in pleasure. His hands were all over her body, as hers were on his.

Hinata felt a pressure building up within her. Her muscles were beginning to tighten as Naruto continued to slide into and out of her, kissing and touching her. Then, like a coil snapping, Hinata cried out Naruto's name as her body clenched around his, her orgasm hitting.

Naruto pushed in a few more times. He felt Hinata's body tense and the sensation helped him release into her. After a few more thrusts he groaned as he pulled out of her, kissing her tenderly before collapsing beside her.

She was breathing heavily as she lay on her back. She turned her head to look at him. He was leaning on his elbow, staring at her lovingly and grinning broadly. His chest was moving up and down as he breathed rapidly. She felt a slight soreness down below after he had pulled out but his glaringly bright grin pushed that pain away. She blushed at the look he gave her. She rolled over so her body faced his, giving him a small smile.

"I love you, Hinata," he said, crawling over to her. He pulled the blankets over them messily and draped his arm over her bare hip underneath the covers.

"I love you too, Naruto-kun," she said sweetly. He kissed her on her forehead, still smiling. "You seem very happy," she stated.

"Oh, I am," he said with a chuckle. "So happy. So, so, _so_ happy." She giggled. "So happy I have someone who loves me. So happy I love someone like you. So happy I have _you_, Hinata."

She stopped laughing and stared at him with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say. She whispered his name softly before kissing him.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said, snuggling into his chest. He trailed his fingers gently across her back, holding her tightly to his body. She could feel his heart beating as she pressed her hand against his chest. Suddenly she felt Naruto stiffen. He was staring off into space blankly. "Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata…" Naruto said, looking down at her a bit nervously. "We…we didn't use protection."

Hinata relaxed. "Oh don't worry about that," she said. "When kunoichi's reach a certain age they start taking pills in case something…goes wrong during a mission," she explained.

Naruto tightened his grip around her protectively. He didn't want _anyone_ touching her the way he did. "I…that's horrible," he said, placing another kiss on her forehead. "But ya know what Hinata?" he said, looking at her questioning face. "I wouldn't mind having a kid with you." Hinata blushed furiously and buried her head into his chest. "Not now!" Naruto said frantically. "I mean…I…Oh man."

Hinata giggled and looked up at the frazzled ninja. "I understand," she said kindly. "Maybe we should get some sleep," she said, sounding reluctant. She was so comfortable right now but they did have a mission coming up. She sighed.

"Why?" Naruto asked as she glanced up at him. "You tired?" he asked, grinning mischievously.

She blinked, wondering what he was up to. "I'm not tired," she replied with a small smile. "Are _you_ tired?"

Suddenly he moved so he was on top of her once more, straddling her waist. "Not too tired for a round two," he said before kissing her.

* * *

Their food is going to get cold.

Please review so I know people would like me to continue and I'll attempt to update as soon as possible.

-Magma E.

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Coming Up: **Wife**

"Everything looked fine. He turned away from the building regretfully and walked with Tsuma."


End file.
